Chronicle Editor
CHIEF Sivalo of Nkayi has made an impassioned plea to the Government to prioritise the drilling of boreholes in his area as they have not had a borehole drilled since the country gained independence in 1980.
The Government has an ongoing countrywide borehole drilling project that has not yet reached areas under the chief’s jurisdiction.
Under the Presidential Rural Development Programme, the Government is set to drill and equip a borehole in all the 35 000 villages in the country by 2025 with each of the villages being further empowered with a nutrition garden offering a variety of fruit trees.
Further Government will drill 9 600 boreholes for each school in the country while each ward will have an additional two boreholes for youth horticulture projects.
The traditional leader said villagers have been relying on unprotected wells around the nearby Tshangani River.
“My biggest plea is on the issue of boreholes in my area. People are using river water which they tap from wells and I don’t think this is good so I am appealing to authorities to prioritise this area as they drill boreholes across the country,” said Chief Sivalo.
He said engineers from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) visited the area sometime in August and carried out some surveying before going back with a promise of returning.
“These engineers said they found that there was coal underneath which made it impossible to drill a borehole but in some areas, they did find water,” said Chief Sivalo.
Online Reporter