Water crisis hits Chipinge

THE water rationing programme adopted by Chipinge Town Council has resulted in some suburbs going without water for five days.

A survey by The Herald on Tuesday showed that many residents in Gaza high-density suburb had since switched to alternative water supplies, some of which are unsafe.

The most affected areas are Gaza’s sections O and J.

Long winding queues at the few boreholes and weirs available have been a common feature since last weekend.

A council official, who declined to be named, said a reservoir which supplied water to some parts of Gaza high-density suburb had been damaged.

“Council will continue rationing water until the situation is back to normal,” he said.

“In fact, council decided to ration water because one of our reservoirs is not working. We will continue to face more shortages until the situation is resolved. Our submissive boreholes cannot supply enough water to the residents.

“It is also unfortunate that our dam is fast losing its capacity to supply water annually because of siltation caused by people who are illegally settling on its banks.

“This situation of illegal settlements requires us to take urgent action before it deteriorates to dire levels, as more illegal settlers are still coming.”

Efforts to get a comment from the council’s chairperson councillor Lovemore Huni were unsuccessful as his mobile number was not being answered.

Residents want the local authority to urgently attend to the problem.

Mr Edwin Simango of Gaza high-density suburb said council should immediately solve the water crisis to avert a disease outbreak.

“Is it still water rationing when water is disconnected for four or five days in some areas when others are receiving it daily?” he said.

“Council should come clean on this because if the situation is not urgently addressed many people will end up suffering from diseases.”

Another resident, Mrs Enesy Muronzerei, called for fair distribution of water.

“We have been fetching water from weirs for a very long time,” she said.

“These water problems have not been attended to in a very long time.”

Addressing a stakeholders meeting on Wednesday last week, councillor for Ward 4 Mr Livingstone Makangara said council was trying its level best to distribute water fairly.

“The water distribution has improved and we have few sections of Gaza township which are not yet receiving water,” he said.

“We are urging residents to bear with us and continue supporting us as the situation is being attended to.”

The council is in the process of installing prepaid water metres, a move they feel will help save water and recover millions of dollars owed by residents and the business community.