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Sydney Mubaiwa in Zaka
A crippling shortage of potable water has hit the Zibwowa area where more than 2 000 villagers are now relying on one borehole after most boreholes in the area have either dried up or broken down under the weight of over use and a receding water table.
The water woes are forcing villagers in some areas to walk for up to five kilometres to fetch water.
Desperate villagers are now fetching water from unprotected sources, raising the spectre of disease outbreak.
Zaka Ward 20 Councillor Walter Masaka said the Zibwowa community was now overwhelming the single borehole at a local school.
“We have a serious water shortage here with the entire Zibwowa community relying on one borehole which is failing to cope with demand, resulting in some villagers getting water from unprotected sources which is very unsafe,” he said.
As humans and livestock compete for water, villagers here say some of their cattle are dying owing to a severe shortages.
“The problem of water in our area does not only affect human beings, but livestock as well,” said Cllr Masaka. “Scores of cattle have died because of shortage of water and we are appealing to Government for more boreholes to ease the problem from sliding into a complete catastrophe.”
Cllr Masaka called on Government and its partners to assist in rehabilitating malfunctional boreholes across Zibwowa.
“Water is not a want, but a need and we fear an outbreak of water-borne diseases such as cholera and typhoid if the problem is not urgently addressed,” said Cllr Masaka.
Zaka East National Assembly member Cde Kaston Gumbwanda said the water challenge was stalling construction projects, particularly at schools in his constituency.
“The water challenge is affecting construction projects at schools, work has stopped at most schools and clinics that are being constructed or rehabilitated here because there is no water,” he said.
“There is need to construct small dams, harvest water and drill more boreholes to increase the number of water access points.”
Online Reporter