admin
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Manicaland Bureau
Villagers in Makoni District are eagerly awaiting the onset of the rains in the hope that they will alleviate their suffering owing to serious shortages of water that have come as a result of the receding water table.
Manicaland has suffered droughts for three consecutive seasons and as a result, most rivers and boreholes have dried up.
Villagers in Nzvimbe say they are walking long distances to get to water and some have resorted to fetching it from unsafe streams.
Mr Caston Chinoshava from Nzvimbe Village 10 said the situation was bad for both humans and livestock.
“We did not receive good rains in this area last year, so our boreholes are no longer yielding water,” he said. “We are now praying for the rains to come so that the water table can rise and we start getting water from our boreholes and rivers.”
Villages 1, 2, 10C, 11 D and 13D of the Nzvimbe resettlement area which has a total of 45 villages, are the most affected.
Nzvimbe environmental health technician Mr Kelvin Chiturike confirmed the water situation was bad and could result in an outbreak of diarrhoeal diseases.
“Water is a challenge in this area,” he said. “Water tables have declined and some water sources have dried up, people are relying on water from the streams. But the streams are not really safe and we are afraid we will see a spike in diarrhoeal diseases.
“This area needs deep boreholes so that even when there are droughts people can continue accessing water. As it is, villagers are travelling long distances to get water.”
Makoni is not the only district that has been seriously affected by the low water tables.
According to the District Development Fund (DDF), a total of 152 water points in the province have totally dried up, while another 143 are almost dry, which has affected hundreds of communities.
Online Reporter