Water crisis hits Bikita villagers

TATENDA CHIKARA      IN MASVINGO

Villagers in Mabhandi ward 13, Nyika area in Bikita District, are battling water supply challenges amid revelations they are relying on a borehole situated at the growth point but is said to be contaminated with sewage  deposits from burst pipes, Business Times.

There are now  fears that children might contract waterborne diseases from contaminated water.

“We are having serious water challenges here in the Nyika area, the only source of water was at Matimbe but the borehole stopped functioning a long time ago, now we are travelling 1,5km to Nyika rank where we are fetching water that is stinky.

“You cannot drink the water if it’s your first time,” a Mabhandi villager, who requested anonymity, told Business Times.

Another villager, who preferred not to be named said:

“We wake up early to get to the borehole, many people fetch water at the one source, we still come back late at home because of a big queue.

“We wish that well-wishers drill us boreholes, especially those that use solar panels.”

The sewers bursts have also caused vendors who trade at Nyika rank to complain that flies were now flying on to their vegetables which could be a health hazard.

“We once told the council to fix the sewer busts but they have not, honestly our health is under threat and our customers because flies are getting to their wares,” a vendor at Nyika rank said.

No comment could be obtained from Bikita Rural District Council CEO, Peter Chibi as he had not responded to inquiries by the time of going to press.

However, the council’s chairperson Benjamin Masakadze said there were plans to allocate the area with two boreholes in their 2022 budget to alleviate the problem.

“…We had a meeting and agreed that we were going to allocate the area with two boreholes near Duma from our 2022 budget,” Masakadze he said.