admin
President Mnangagwa recently ordered urgent release of $651 000 for the purchase of four new low-lift raw water pumps for Amapongobwe Dam thereby averting a water crisis in Gweru. Gweru city, whose supply dam Gwenhoro is almost dry, is now guaranteed water supply following the Government intervention.
Treasury had earlier released $7 million towards the acquisition of three high-lift pumps to enhance conveyance of water from the treatment plant to the distribution tanks in the city. Following the installation of low-lift pumps at Amapongobwe Dam, water supply to residents increased from 23 to 40 mega litres a day.
The daily supply however remains inadequate as the city’s average water consumption a day is 80 mega litres. The council therefore needs to increase its pumping capacity to meet the city’s daily demand.
Many suburbs such as Mkoba villages 15, 18, 19 and 20 have water once a week and this has been like this for several years. Gweru like many cities and towns in Zimbabwe has since independence witnessed phenomenal growth which has seen the establishment of new residential areas.
This expansion has resulted in a sharp increase in the city’s population but there has not been a corresponding expansion of the city’s water pumping capacity.
There is therefore an urgent need for the council to expand and modernise its water pumping and distribution infrastructure to meet increased water consumption.
The local authority has an obligation to ensure all the suburbs have adequate water supplies all the time. Gweru is among the cities and towns affected by last year’s typhoid outbreak. Eight people died while more than 1 500 typhoid cases were recorded in the city.
This was blamed largely on erratic water supplies to some of the city’s suburbs. Residents from these suburbs rely on untreated borehole water which at times is contaminated thereby putting their lives at risk.
We want to commend Government for reacting swiftly to avert a water crisis in Gweru and implore the city fathers to start mobilising resources for the expansion of the water reticulation system so that all suburbs have adequate water supplies.
The city continues to be at risk of outbreaks of water-borne diseases like typhoid as long as there are suburbs that are supplied water once a week and residents have to rely on borehole water.
It is difficult for residents to maintain high level of hygiene when water supplies are erratic.
Sidumisile Mabena