Close to 3 000 boreholes drilled under Presidential programme

A total of 2 972 boreholes have been drilled under the Presidential Rural Development Programme to provide safe drinking water to communities with 1 166 of these being fitted with bush pumps, an official said on Tuesday.

Under the Presidential Rural Development Programme, the government through the Zimbabwe National Water Authority is targeting to drill and equip a borehole for each of the country’s 35 000 villages, 9 600 boreholes for schools and 4 500 boreholes for youth centres by 2025.

In a statement, ZINWA said at least 164 villages, 44 schools and 20 youth centres have so far benefitted from the 228 village, school and youth business units established under the programme.

“Since the launch of the Presidential Rural Development Programme in 2021 communities have benefitted from the programme with some beneficiary villages earning as high as US$3 000 in dividends and as much as US$50 in monthly payouts,” said ZINWA corporate communications and marketing manager Marjorie Munyonga.

“Of the 228 villages, schools and youth business units, 58 are in Manicaland Province, 16 in Mashonaland West, 37 in Mashonaland East, 34 in the Midlands and 10 in Matabeleland South.

“In Matabeleland North province, 26 village, schools and youth business units have been established while a total of 33 have been established in Mashonaland Central,” she said.

The boreholes have components which include the solar-powered borehole, 10 000 litre water storage tanks, 1 hectare drip technology horticulture garden, 2 fishponds and a communal water point.

ZINWA is also set to establish 1 035 ward livestock and drought mitigation centres in areas in ecological regions 4 and 5 to assist communities build resilience capabilities in the wake of the El Nino induced drought.

“The centres will typically comprise a solar-powered borehole, a half-hectare drip technology garden, livestock drinking and feeding troughs and livestock sales centres. To date, a total of 248 boreholes have been drilled in the regions as part of the ongoing efforts to set up the centres,” said Munyonga.

New Ziana