adminLeonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
LUPANE Town’s perennial water woes will soon be a thing of the past after Treasury released $350 000 for the completion of a water treatment plant at Bubi-Lupane Dam.
The 40 million cubic metre dam in the Matabeleland North provincial capital was commissioned in 2012 but hasn’t been supplying water to residents because of lack of pumping equipment hence people depended on borehole water.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate, Mr Prince Mupazviriho and Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) officials visited Lupane on Friday to assess progress made so far following the release of the funds last week.
He said they targeted to start pumping water this week.
“Our visit was a follow up to the project as we want to expedite connection of water to Lupane. We are working flat out and if all goes according to schedule we will start pumping before the end of the week,” said Mr Mupazviriho.
Lupane Town has been having erratic water supplies as Zinwa has been failing to supply water adequately.
Residents depend on borehole water as Zinwa, which is responsible for supplying water to both Kusile Rural District Council and Lupane Local Board, has been failing to pump some water.
Mr Mupazviriho said engineers were working flat out on the ground with connections already done. “Connections have been made and engineers are busy working to make sure everything is in place. We received more than $350 000 and that’s the money which we are using to complete the project,” said the Permanent Secretary.
The dam is viewed as the panacea to the town’s water problems which have delayed the completion of capital projects and relocation of Government officials. Demand for water in Lupane has increased with relocation of the Lupane State University (LSU) management and will further rise when students and lecturers relocate to the campus at the end of this month.
The chairperson of Lupane Residents and Ratepayers Association, Mr Christopher Mazibisa, said they were hopeful water problems will be a thing of the past soon as residents wasted precious time queueing at the few boreholes at Lupane Centre. — @ncubeleon
Online Reporter