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George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
Masvingo City’s anticipated water upgrading will cost ratepayers over $1,3 billion after council resolved to end perennial water challenges by expanding the scope of the required work to cope with expected growth.
Initially, the long touted water augmentation project was billed to cost around $1 billion and was expected to increase daily water pumping capacity from 30 mega-litres daily to 48 mega-litres.
Ratepayers should brace to pay more after council agreed to commit more funds to increase daily water output to 70 mega-litres a day.
Acting Town Clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa said the revised water output target was necessary in light of the expected boom in housing development.
He said council wanted to permanently erase water challenges as the town angled to lure investment to realise its full growth potential, as it marches towards attaining world-class city status.
“Council noted that it was important to further expand the scope of upgrading works because when phase 2 was designed in 2012, the emergence of new suburbs such as Klipsham Views, and Lot 2 of Victoria Ranch housing project, among others, had not been factored in,” said Eng Mukaratirwa.
He said besides the two new housing projects, council was planning ahead in the area of water supply with several other new housing projects under planning in the city.
Among the projects is the Klipsham South housing project which will see the development of a new medium and high-density suburbs south of the Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway.
A new residential area was close to full development in Rujeko D, while the plush Rhodene suburb extension was earmarked for further expansion to accommodate 250 new houses.
The planned water upgrade expansion, said Eng Mukaratirwa, had all these projects in mind, hence the expansion of scope of works.
Masvingo City recently applied for borrowing powers to scour the market for an additional $350 million for the water upgrading project.
The city intends to approach China’s Eximbank for funds to implement the project and a financial feasibility report has since been produced for onward transmission to the Government that is expected to guarantee the loan.
Masvingo draws its water from Lake Mutirikwi, Zimbabwe’s second largest inland dam, but the city has of late been blighted by crippling water shortages blamed on limited supply.
Online Reporter