Staff Reporter

Government has resolved to permanently end perennial water challenges in the country’s urban and rural areas, this follows reports of serious water shortages across the country, more so in major cities such as Harare and Bulawayo

The Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Dr Jenfan Muswere, made this announcement during the Post-Cabinet Media briefing in Harare, yesterday.

“The nation is being informed that the Government is fully committed to resolving the Harare water challenges and that of all cities, rural and urban centres. The Government, through the Presidential Rural Development Programme, has drilled 301 boreholes in the past year,” said Minister Muswere.

According to Minister Muswere, following reports that the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led Harare City Council was failing to provide bulk water in Harare, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development convened a meeting of the National Action Committee on Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) with regards to the city’s water challenges and solutions.

“The Committee found out that the main challenges affecting the City of Harare are as follows: heavy pollution of Water Supply Dams (Chivero and Manyame) leading to excessive use of water treatment chemicals; aged units constantly breaking down; aged water supply infrastructure leading to reduction in treatment capacity and high water losses; and failure by City of Harare to pay for water treatment chemicals to meet the current treatment capacity of 520 Megalitres per day.

“A rig has been dedicated to Harare Metropolitan Province and ZINWA will continue the borehole drilling programme, prioritizing suburbs which are not receiving water from the City of Harare,” disclosed Minister Muswere.

Meanwhile, the Government, through the Presidential Rural Development Programme, has drilled 301 boreholes in the past year under the Second Republic mantra of leaving no one and no place behind.