adminPaidamoyo Chipunza Senior Health Reporter
Chegutu Municipality requires about $1,5 million to urgently rehabilitate its water and sewer reticulation system, acting town clerk Mr Jacob Chikuruwo has said.
The town is battling a cholera outbreak that has killed four people. Mr Chikuruwo said while they received assistance to rehabilitate 36 boreholes in high-density suburbs, water and sewer reticulation system remained a challenge. He said they have since approached Government for borrowing powers.
“We are still pursuing a facilitation to borrow money so that we fix our water reticulation system, which is now very old,” said Mr Chikuruwo. “Once we fix the water system we would have fixed half of our problems as far as sewerage system is concerned.” Mr Chikuruwo said the sewer pipes were now old and needed rehabilitation. A team from the Department of Civil Protection assessed the magnitude of the dilapidation on Sunday.
“We hope they will be able to raise awareness on the level of dilapidation as far as water and sanitation is concerned and help us advocate for resource mobilisation at national level,” said Mr Chikuruwo.
Meanwhile, Mashonaland West provincial medical director Dr Wenceslaus Nyamayaro said suspected cases of cholera were still being recorded in the district and surrounding areas with latest figures standing at 68. Dr Nyamayaro said last week another case was confirmed positive for cholera.
“We have been able to manage all the cases that have come through our facilities such that we have not recorded any deaths yet. Provision of uninterrupted clean water supplies and continued sewer bursts in high density areas remain a challenge for the district,” he said.
Online Reporter