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Fungai Lupande, Mash Central Bureau

Pfura Rural District Council is building a public toilet, which will also be accessible to the wheelchair-bound, at the Mt Darwin bus terminus as the culmination of its sanitation programme that has seen a major change in public health.

The toilet, one of the biggest public toilets in Mashonaland Central, is part of the council’s Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme and will serve informal traders operating at the town’s new bus terminus as well as the steady flow of passengers through the terminus.

The council has managed to reduce diarrhoeal cases with no dehydration from 10 635 to 3 675 cases a year and diarrhoea with dehydration from 642 to 279 cases in its programme.

Pfura RDC chief executive officer Mr Stanslous Runyararo Nyachowe said the imposing public toilet is expected to be opened by end of month.

Mr Nyachowe added that 42 villages have attained the open defecation-free status out of the targeted 50 while 2 363 households constructed latrines without subsidy out of the targeted 2 662 households.

“What prompted construction of the toilet was the relocation of informal traders from town to the new bus terminus site where there was no sanitation facilities,” said Mr Nyachowe.

“Although the toilet was not budgeted for, we had to construct it fearing the outbreak of diseases.”

Mr Nyachowe added that a road network and drainage at the new bus terminus is under construction and they managed to procure a six tonne dumper trailer for road maintenance.

They also managed to procure a refuse tractor and its trailer for refuse collection.

“We have put in place a WASH fund. Every household will contribute $20 per year. We have 39 974 households. The success of our WASH programmes hinges on support from the community,” he said.

“There is a revolving fund which ensures that WASH related commodities such as borehole spares are available to the community locally. Provision of WASH is critical, it contributes to the reduction of water related diseases such as cholera. Traditional leadership has also taken a leading role in spearheading the project implementation.”

Piped water schemes are complete at Bveke Clinic in ward 12, Kaitano Clinic in ward 1, Kamutsenzere Clinic in ward 34, secondary and primary school and the business centre.

The local authority managed to rehabilitate 575 boreholes out of the 808 that were no longer being used for reasons that included broken pumps.

Mr Nyachowe said they have started rehabilitating infrastructure damaged by the wind and hailstorm using the devolution funds.

“The devolution funds have helped our service delivery agenda. As we continue to receive the funds our aim is cover all the four constituencies with life changing developmental projects such as road rehabilitation, health facilities and schools construction in line with vision 2030,” he said

“We want to buy a grader, tipper truck, compactor and a front end loader.

‘‘We are also targeting to complete Mangare and Chimbuwe clinics and a piped water scheme.”