Story by Tambaoga Gora
THE town of Chinhoyi is battling a water crisis for the umpteenth time, with the local authority failing to supply the precious liquid for more than a week in some suburbs, much to the dismay of residents.
Residents of Chinhoyi have in the past week struggled to get water, including areas that usually receive some ration of the precious liquid.
Other areas are getting supplies once a week forcing residents to rely on unsafe streams, with the lucky ones approaching institutions with boreholes for assistance.
“This is what we have become accustomed to. Only a few areas are lucky to get supplies but I have not been lucky enough because we rarely get supplies,” said a Chinhoyi resident.
“This has been going on for years and we are tired of engaging the council because nothing changes. We are now forced to come fetch water at areas like this stream as if we are staying in rural areas,” said another resident.
Chinhoyi municipality spokesperson, Mr Tichaona Mlauzi attributed the water crisis to a ballooning population and a burst water pipe which he said has since been repaired.
“Our population has gone up to 103 000, with the Chinhoyi University of Technology adding up another 12 000. So, our system at the waterworks can’t meet demand. We can only pump 21 mega litres for purification yet the town has a demand of around 60 mega litres. We have since engaged a consultant to give us a report on how to further develop the water works but we are yet to get feedback. As for the past week, the problem was worsened by a burst main pipe which has since been repaired,” he said.
Water challenges have become a perennial problem in Chinhoyi, with the opposition-led local authority seemingly failing to put its priorities right.
