Water woes hit Rushinga

RUSHINGA district is contending with a serious water crisis which has seen patients at Chanza Clinic, fetching water for use at the health facility from dams and shallow wells, Mt Darwin East legislature Cde Norman Marikisi has revealed.

So dire is the situation that areas like Chizeza and Pfunyanguwo, which have a combined population of over 3 000 people, don’t have a borehole, resulting in villagers drawing water from Pfunyanguwo Dam and shallow wells along Ruya River.

“Rushinga was affected by water shortages earlier this year,” said Cde Marikisi.

“We were given 60 boreholes by Government, but they managed to drill nine. The drilling rig and machinery were taken to Chimanimani following the Cyclone Idai disaster.

“There is no borehole at Chanza Clinic and nurses at this health facility rely on water they receive from people in the village and the source of water is shallow wells along the river.

“Patients at the clinic also have to fetch water for their own welfare and this exposes pregnant women to contaminated water.”

Cde Marikisi said in Maname, Chizeza and Pfunyanguwo people are digging shallow wells downstream along Ruya River.

The water from these sources is being consumed by both humans and livestock.

Said Cde Marikisi: “We had cholera outbreaks and I suspect the issue of water to have contributed to this. There was a time when people were being restricted to only two buckets per household because boreholes were yielding little water.

“Mt Darwin and Rushinga receive low rainfall and we don’t have many dams.”

Cde Marikisi added that apart from the water crisis, the constituency was also affected by drought, forcing people to venture into gold panning or selling livestock for survival.

“Mt Darwin East is a completely rural constituency, there are no farms. The constituency has 11 wards, four in Rushinga and seven in Mt Darwin with a population of about 40 000 people. We have areas that were severely affected by the drought like Chizeza, Pfunyanguwo, Kanyoka, Date and Karanda.

“Those who planted small grains like sorghum managed to get good yields, but unfortunately they planted on small pieces of land. Next farming season we want to intensify small grain programmes in areas like Rushinga, which receive low rainfall.

“Food aid is coming, but it is not enough; we had a development partner who chipped in to assist Government. Many people have resorted to gold panning and selling their livestock,” said Cde Marikisi. Despite the numerous problems, the MP is working with the community to construct more clinics.

But the obtaining economic situation is stalling progress.

There plans to address the poor road network, particularly Chitsato Bridge which collapsed, making it difficult for school children to cross.