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Takunda Maodza Mutare Bureau

THOUSANDS of Dangamvura residents will soon have constant water supply after the African Development Bank (AfDB) released US$500 000 for the installation of an 8km pipeline.

The installation of the 400mm pipeline, an upgrade from the current 300mm, will guarantee Dangamvura residents of tap water.

Mutare has enough water in its reservoirs but its pipelines lack capacity. Addressing the media yesterday, Mutare Mayor Councillor Blessing Tandi pledged that the Dangamvura water pipeline will be in place by August this year.

“On Thursday February 20 we hosted a high-powered delegation from the African Development Bank, which had come to assess some of the works that we did with them — the Hobhouse water tank and the pipeline to Gimboki sewage works,” he said.

“This time they are coming to help us in the completion of the Dangamvura water pipeline where we are upgrading our line from 300mm to a 400mm pipe. This 300mm pipe has been reducing our water supply in Dangamvura from an anticipated 24 hours a day to about four hours a day.”

Cllr Tandi said the Dangamvura water pipeline was a legacy issue.

“The water pipeline is a legacy issue that we inherited from previous council. We are left with 2km of high pressure pipe that should have been laid on our Sakubva stream. That (Dangamvura pipeline) is being sponsored to the tune of US$500 000. We are happy to announce that AfDB has helped us with that and we have procured the pipes through AfDB and we are anticipating delivery by April,” he said.

Cllr Tandi urged Government to chip in.

“We are also pestering our Government to give us about $16 million through devolution that will also help in financing the works. We need to take note of the hyperinflationary environment we are operating in. Our goal is to complete the water pipeline as early as possible. Our anticipation is to have done the water pipeline by August,” he said.

“We have enough water at our Christmas Pass reservoir that can supply Dangamvura. This is what we have in terms of our water challenges and how we are trying to alleviate the situation in terms of water supply,” he added.

Mutare City draws its water from Pungwe River, Odzani and Small Bridge dams.

These three water bodies have the capacity to supply the city for the next decade without any challenges.