adminTawanda Mangoma in Chiredzi
Government has challenged Chiredzi Town Council to urgently address the crippling water woes that have seen some suburbs in the sugarcane growing town going for almost six months without running water.
Residents, who fear a possible disease outbreak, are also putting pressure on council to address the situation.
Addressing journalists after a district civil protection committee meeting in the town on Tuesday, Chiredzi District Administrator Mr Lovemore Chisema said the water crisis in Chiredzi was now a cause for serious concern.
“The objective of the meeting we held today (Tuesday) was basically to revive our state of disaster preparedness and also develop a resource matrix in case of a cholera outbreak or another disaster,” he said.
“The meeting also raised the need for the town council to take seriously the issue of refuse collection and constant water supply.’’
Mr Chisema said representatives of residents who attended the meeting criticised council for failing to address water problems.
The newly opened Makondo Extension residential area has been the most affected as it has gone for six months without the precious resource.
According to Mr Chisema, it was shocking that Chiredzi continued to experience water problems despite assurances by council that the new purification plant had capacity to provide enough water for the sugarcane growing town.
“Surely, council has to intensify its response to the water crisis,” he said.
“They once told me in a committee meeting that they purify adequate water for the whole town.
“I am equally worried why it’s not getting to the people.”
Residents are now pushing for the resignation of engineer Wesly Kauma over his failure to resolve Chiredzi’s water woes.
United Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association secretary-general Mr Bernard Dhachi expressed concern over council’s apparent lack of urgency to address the water problem.
“The water supply situation is now dire and is a ticking health time bomb unless there is urgent intervention,” he said.
“Residents now fear there might be a serious outbreak of diseases such as cholera unless the water problems are addressed.
“Residents are tired of walking for long distances to fetch water using buckets yet we have a town engineer whose main task is to make sure our taps are running every day.”
Chiredzi’s water supply infrastructure was last upgraded in the 1980s and its population has grown significantly in the past decade due to rural to urban migration.
Online Reporter