Climate change: Boreholes dry up in Binga communities
WITH experts anticipating drought recurrence in Binga, Matabeleland North Province on the country’s northern border with Zambia to reach 30 percent increase by 2030 due to climate change, some boreholes and small water bodies are drying up leaving communities in despair.
One of the worst affected areas in the district is Siansundu under Chief Saba, where Gogo Rebecca Munkombwe (80) of Siabwande Village and Gogo Sophia Mudhimba (78) of Nduwani 2 Village told this reporter recently how they have witnessed their once wildlife-infested and heavily Mopane-wooded land turn dry, with declining harvests being recorded over the years.
The two matriarchs narrated how they leave their homes, 4,5 kilometres away at 4am to come to claim a spot in a water queue at Dadalika Borehole after every seven days.
“Because of the serious water crisis induced by drying up of numerous boreholes here, we now alternate at seven-day intervals to get five water buckets at the Dadalika 1 Borehole. We leave home at around 4am to get a spot in the queue. First to get water is the staff at the Siansundu Clinic and at Siansundu primary and secondary schools and other civil servants in the area. Besides the staff, the clinic and school also require water and this is fetched before villagers on duty can start getting water.
“The Dadalika Borehole water table is getting lower. That means that by the time the staff, secondary and primary school get their water, the borehole dries up and we have to wait until it starts trickling out again. This can take up to six hours and meanwhile, one cannot leave the queue, lest they are displaced by other equally impatient villagers,” said Gogo Munkombwe who lives with her orphaned three school-going grandchildren.
Gogo Mudhimba who stays with her two adolescent grandchildren in Nduwani 2 Village says the five buckets are not enough for her family for the whole week.
“Five buckets are not enough to last the week for us. The situation is made worse when the girls have their periods. They were given washable pads at school and these require more water. Sometimes when I have the money, we buy water from the water merchants who sell four buckets for US$1,” said Gogo Mudhimba.
Ms Cecelia Mudhimba (36) said the situation for them at Dadalika 2 Borehole is a little better as the 35 villages with an average of 25 households each, two schools and a business centre have to wait for “only” five days before they get their turn for five buckets.
“The situation is dire, but for us, we get five buckets after five days. The Mlibizi Dam, a small water body where livestock and wild animals used to water has since dried up. The situation is bad. I have a lactating baby and I don’t always have the water to wash his nappies. I can’t afford disposable diapers,” said Ms Mudhimba.
The situation is the same at Simwenge 1 Borehole which services 330 households in Siansundu West.
Visually impaired water committee chairperson Mr Markson Mkhuli said the water situation is getting desperate and appealed to Government, which has embarked on borehole rehabilitation to speedily solarise the remaining boreholes.
“Most households had key-hole vegetable gardens which use minimum water to grow nutritious vegetables for families but these have since dried up leaving them at risk of failing to get nutritious meals for children,” said Mr Mkhuli.
To mitigate the deepening water crisis being experienced, Government, through its auxiliary, the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) with the support of the Finish Red Cross (FRC) and Danish Red Cross (DRC) has identified 12 boreholes which were down and repaired them in September.
The ZRCS secretary general Mr Elias Hwenga said the 12 boreholes are now up and running.
“This has improved access to water although access to safe drinking water remains a challenge. The project has plans to upgrade some boreholes into piped water schemes to maximise on the few available boreholes to reach more people,” said Mr Hwenga.
Water committee chairperson Mr Mkhuli said after the repairs to the 12 boreholes, they expect the Simwenge Borehole to be solarised by third week of this month.
“We are happy that Government has heard our plea. The Simwenge Borehole will be solarised before the end of this month and we expect to start a fruit plantation for the community. The solarisation will also result in piped water for most villages. This is a welcome relief. Our women and girls have suffered enough because of these water challenges.