TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO
The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) says a project to promote clean and safe environments is 95% complete.
The Bulawayo Water and Sewerage Services Improvement Project (BWSSIP) began in 2016 and is funded by the African Development Bank which US$37m into the project.
The project started on January 28, 2016, and was expected to end in December 2020 but was extended due to challenges, compounded by Covid-19.
“Overall, the project is around 95% complete. The challenge has been that the supply chain has been affected by Covid-19,” acting director of engineering services, Sikhumbuzo Ncube said.
“Some of the materials for the project are still to be delivered from Europe. We are anticipating the delivery of this soon.”
He said the supply and installation of by-pass breakers at the pump station were rehabilitated at a cost of US$1.7m while the criterion water treatment plant was rehabilitated at a cost of US$1.1m under the programme.
He said other projects were the upgrading and the renewal of water pipes in Pumula, Luveve high density suburbs and other areas.
Ncube said funding was inadequate.
“If funding was coming in its proper streams, we could have spent more than US$170m by now. Of course we have funding from other development partners, and the government. We also borrowed some money for the project. So, if you combine all those streams they don’t really get to the amount of money which we projected by now for expenditure,” he said.
Ncube said the local authority has put in place programmes in place to buy the material needed.
“The material will be used to clear sewers. We also have contractors in place who assist and give us the extra boost to ensure that we pick up the pace to clear the sewer backlog because the sewers are a moving target, you have to continuously maintain but it needs resources, resources are limited but we are doing what we can with what we have,” he said.
Currently, BCC is undertaking a 24-hour water shedding programme.
