Committee to deal with H-Town’s water challenges

Chido Tomu

Government has appointed a technical committee to identify short-term, medium-term and long-term solutions to the water challenges faced by Harare.

The committee is chaired by Professor Hardson Makurira, a renowned expert in water management from the University of Zimbabwe.

It has been given 100 days to present its solutions to the Government for implementation.

Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Anxious Masuka, said President Mnangagwa had directed his Ministry to put in place three immediate measures to resolve current water challenges facing Harare.

“The first measure is to purchase one-month worth of water treatment chemicals for the City of Harare.

“The Ministry of Finance is to work hand-in-hand with the technical team to ensure that they find money to purchase the chemicals.

“The second one was to dedicate a drilling rig to the City of Harare.

“To date over 300 boreholes have been drilled in Greater Harare comprising Epworth, Ruwa, Chitungwiza, and Norton.

“The drilling is under the Zimbabwe National Water Authority,” he said.

The water challenges in Harare have been caused by a combination of factors, including aging infrastructure, lack of investment in the water sector and climate change.

Harare residents have been struggling to access clean water for years.

It is hoped that the technical committee will work quickly and effectively to find solutions to the water challenges faced by the capital city.