Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
There is an urgent need for Government and its partners to avail more resources to address challenges of water and sanitation in communal areas.
Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) Beitbridge team leader, Mr Thulani Sibanda said 51 percent of boreholes in his area are not functioning.
“We are working with the District Development Fund to rehabilitate the broken down boreholes.
Beitbridge district is one of the worst affected areas where 51 percent of communal boreholes are malfunctioning,” said Mr Sibanda.
Idealy, each of the 1155 boreholes should save at least 30 homesteads but the numbers have doubled because of the poor water infrastructure while others have broken down.
Zinwa has since last October been rehabilitating defunct boreholes in the country’s rural communities.
The parastatal us targeting to fix nearly 1000 such boreholes.
“We have an on-going programme to increase acces to portable water in communal areas.
“Our target is to revamp all the non functioning boreholes in our area and this will depend on the resources availability,” he said.
Mr Sibanda said so far they had breathed life into five boreholes in the countrys southern district.
He says they are providing the material while DDF was providing technical support.
Village head Thinandavha Moyo of Tshapfuche, said it is critical for the Government to consider drilling more boreholes and solarising some.
Ms Elizabeth Moyo of the same village said women are the worst affected by the poor state of water and sanitation facilities.
“Most women have to travel for longer distances to access water.
“We are hopefull that when this programme is over some of our problems here will be resolved,” she said.