TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO
The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) will decommission two dams this year due to dwindling water levels.
“We will decommission Lower Ncema in July and Umzingwane Dam in August, and we will definitely introduce water shedding because the volume of water will be reduced from 138 millilitres (ml) per day to 121 ml,” BCC acting director for engineering services, Sikhumbuzo Ncube, told water crisis meeting in Bulawayo this week.
Ncube said.
The decommissioning of the two dams means BCC will rely on Inyakuni, Insiza, Upper Ncema and Mtshabezi dams in addition to Nyamandlovu and Epping Forest aquifers.
Ncube also revealed that the local authority was going to start rehabilitating boreholes in the city.
“We have a team that will this week start rehabilitating boreholes across the city. We have 38 water kiosks and we are planning to decant and disinfect water from the water kiosks. We request additional bowsers. Our plan is to have six bowsers but at the moment we have four,” he said.
The development comes when the water crisis has worsened.
BCC attributed the crisis to persistent power cuts.
Speaking at the same meeting, the Minister of State for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, Judith Ncube said residents should report their grievances to responsible authorities.
“On issues that relate to the council, let’s make use of the mayor and when it comes to issues relating to the central government make use of me. I did not know that our power cuts were now controlled from Harare. When the President comes it will be the first thing that I will inform about that affects us. We all represent the people and if we put the people first, we won’t go wrong,” she said.
Meanwhile, a majority of Bulawayo residents have gone for 12 days without water. They have now resorted to unprotected water sources posing a health hazard.
Bulawayo progressive residents association secretary for administration Thembelani Dube said residents were walking long distances for them to get water supplies.
“Residents have gone for more than 12 days in most suburbs without water and they are now relying on unprotected sources like sewer streams, open wells that they dig and of course from the boreholes.
“ But we know that the boreholes of Bulawayo have been certified that they are not fit for drinking water. So, they are just risking their lives and it is very difficult for most residents because they have to go for more distances to get water. Some are moving from as far as Pumula to get water in Magwegwe where there are some few taps that are still open,” he said.
