adminThe Herald, 8 May, 1981
THE Government is launching a massive project to supply about 3 million people in rural areas with piped water.
A spokesman for the Ministry of National Resources and Water Development said yesterday that the project, known as the rural village supply programme, was designed to deliver water to people not already looked after by rural council services.
Supply points, including taps and laundry facilities, are planned for each group of dwellings throughout the country and cattle watering, will be provided for at certain points.
Most area schemes will be supplied from existing boreholes and a drilling programme will be introduced. Places without underground water will receive purified supplies from dams.
“In the event of there being areas where dams cannot be built or where underground supplies are insufficient to justify a power-driven pump, then a hand pump will be installed,” the spokesman said.
The programme would take many years to complete, since the rate of implementation would depend on the amount of money available each year, but aid promised during Zimcord should ensure a good start, the spokesman said.
Lessons For Today
Water is a vital resource that is critical to the survival of human beings and animals, as well as flora and fauna.
The Second Republic under the able leadership of President Mnangagwa is cognisant of this and has embarked on the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme under which the Zimbabwe National Water Authority is drilling solar-powered boreholes in each of the country’s 35 000 villages by 2025.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter