The Sunday News
Michael Magoronga, Midlands Correspondent
THE Government through the District Development Fund (DDF) is set to drill 20 boreholes in the Midlands Province before the end of the year as it moves to avert water challenges that are affecting both human beings and livestock.
District Development Fund Co-ordinator for Midlands Mrs Molly Shonhiwa said the project will also see the rehabilitation of already existing water facilities as the Government moves in to avert water challenges.
“It is our responsibility as a department to provide water facilities in the communal areas. For that reason we are targeting to drill about 20 boreholes across the provinces in 2019,” she said.
Although the number of water facilities set for resuscitation could not be ascertained, Mrs Shonhiwa said her department was moving to rehabilitate non-functional boreholes as well as deepen functioning ones.
“There is nothing really that we can do about climate change, the only thing we can do is to ensure that we deepen the existing boreholes to ensure that they reach the receding water table. There are, however, some areas where water facilities are far from where people stay and we are moving in to drill new boreholes so that people will not have to travel long distances,” she said.
Mrs Shonhiwa said while she appreciated that climate change had caused serious problems not only in the province but across the country, they were going to do all they can to ensure that people and livestock access water.
Mrs Shonhiwa also urged villagers to desist from stream bank cultivation as it was contributing to siltation of water bodies.
“The water situation has resulted in some people moving to stream banks. But I want to urge villagers to avoid living along riverbanks as it results in siltation of water bodies resulting in even increased problems in the future as we will need to de-silt the water bodies,” she said.
The intervention comes at the opportune time as a number of areas are experiencing water problems due to low rainfall recorded last summer season.
