BCC urges residents to pray for rains

THE Bulawayo City Council has urged residents to pray for rains as the city faces a water crisis.

The municipality has indicated that starting from next week, a 24-hour water shedding regime followed by a 48-hour shedding schedule would be effected if the heavens do not open up.

Council has set daily water allocations for consumers in high density areas pegged at 500 litres, low density areas 750 litres, cottages with meters 200 litres, flats with meters 350 litres and flats with bulk meters at 60 percent per day.

Speaking during a Water Crisis Committee meeting on Tuesday, the city’s deputy Director of Engineering Services, Engineer Mente Ndlovu, said water shedding may save water in the short term, but a long term solution would need to be put in place. He also urged residents to pray for rains. “The effects of water shedding will be felt not only by individuals in their daily lives, but also by small businesses as well as large corporations in the city. Therefore all stakeholders are urged to conserve water and above all pray for goods rains to save Bulawayo,” said Eng Ndlovu.

He said there are forecasts for heavy rains, but there is a possibility that the rains may not be adequate.

Eng Ndlovu said police would be out in force to question anyone who will be seen carrying bulk water without giving a satisfactory explanation of its source.

“We are saying if you are seen carrying water up and down then the ZRP will have to ask you where you got that water. You must be getting it somewhere illegally so the ZRP will come in and enforce the law,” he said.

Eng Ndlovu said they had engaged the police as a stakeholder in the committee to deal with such issues.

He allayed fears that people would flock into town where there would be no water shedding to collect water saying no one would want to be laden with a water bill inflated by friends and relatives.

Eng Ndlovu said the Central Business District was exempted from water shedding as there are businesses that would be greatly affected.

“The CBD is the nerve centre of the city. That’s where we have some businesses, hotels and of course some flats. You cannot close industry in a city which is de-industrialising because of a shortage of water. So if we’re going to shut down industry ourselves as a city, we will collapse. If we shut down, commerce will collapse,” he said.

Eng Ndlovu said schools and hospitals were also exempt from water shedding. — @AuxiliaK