adminWalter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
Residents here have been assured that the country’s oldest town has sufficient water supplies from Lake Mutirikwi, enough to last until next year’s rainy season. The city draws its water from Lake Mutirikwi, Zimbabwe’s second largest inland water body.
There were growing fears over sustained water supplies to the country’s oldest town owing to depleted pumping capacity and concerns over Lake Mutirikwi’s capacity to last the distance in terms of supplies. City engineer, Mr Tawanda Gozo on Friday allayed such fears saying the dam was more than 50 percent full.
Mr Gozo, however, conceded that the city is facing challenges in pumping water which currently stood at 30 megalitres against aggregate demand of 48 megalitres per day.
He attributed a surge in demand to population increase in Masvingo saying the current pumping infrastructure was last upgraded soon after independence.
“We have adequate water supplies for now that can last us beyond next year’s rainy season. Lake Mutirikwi, which is our main source of water is 54 percent full,” Mr Gozo.
He said supplies remained guaranteed for now even if the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) continues to release water for irrigating sugar cane plantations in the Lowveld despite fears of El-Nino induced drought.
“We are still sharing the same water with the sugarcane plantations in Chiredzi, but we are still in the right position. Residents should not expect any water challenges unless it is to do with pumping challenges and a souring debt they owe us of over $30 million.’’
“The two pumps that had broken down and leaving the city dry for close to two weeks have been reinstalled. We now have normal suppliers,” he said.
Masvingo’s population is now conservatively estimated at 100 000 and continues to surge on the back of increased rural to urban migration.
Online Reporter