The Sunday News
Uzile Mkwananzi, Sunday News Reporter
THE Bubi Rural District Council in Matabeleland North Province is working on ensuring that its communities have access to safe and clean water by drilling boreholes and setting up solar-powered piped water schemes.
The RDC’s chief executive officer, Dr Patson Mlilo, said the council had put together a few initiatives to help ease the water crisis they were facing as a district.
He said it was the mandate of the council to provide services that improve the lives of the people and water was one such service.
“As the RDC we have noted that for us to sustain the water sources, certain measures and initiatives have to be implemented. Council has therefore bought a scooper which it uses to de-silt the dams. Most of the dams are no longer able to hold much water because of siltation. Again, the council is putting solar-powered piped water schemes in partnership with development partners. This ensures that water is drawn from boreholes with a lot of pressure. Local water point committees have also been set up to control and manage the use of water at each of these water points,” he said.
Dr Mlilo said the district was facing serious challenges when it comes to water as they rely mainly on underground water.
He lamented the effects of climate change saying consecutive dry spells have led to scarcity of water as the water table was now too deep leading to most of the boreholes drying up.
Livestock
“Once that happens, both people and livestock suffer, gardens — the sources of nutrition are abandoned and this leaves communities in dire situations.
“We are looking at ways to circumvent the problems of water shortages in the district because we are aware of the serious health effects that it may cause,” he said.
Dr Mlilo said the RDC was planning to drill more boreholes in each ward subject to the availability of resources and input of the community members.
“The council has budgeted to drill some more boreholes. Over and above that, it has initiated a special levy to buy a borehole drilling rig which is still underway. Each household is expected to pay US$20 while businesses pay US$50 and big mines US$100. Once the council buys the rig, it will drill a borehole in every ward ensuring that all wards have clean and safe water for use,” said Dr Mlilo.
He said they would ensure that the water was tested for safety and quality before use saying it was sad that due to lack of safe water sources, some of the communities in the district were drinking from the dams where animals were also drinking from.
“Normally, such places have no or little underground water hence they have no option but to use what is available. We, therefore, urge community members to cooperate and work together with the council to ensure that boreholes are drilled for everyone’s convenience.
“We, however, have certain wards that are facing less to no water challenges at all like the Buhle Buzile Scheme in Ward 15 which has an irrigation scheme, the ward has a solar-powered piped water scheme, Ward 11 Pollard has a piped water scheme which is solar-powered, Ward 23 Fincham solar-powered piped water scheme, so is Ward 4 Majiji, and Ward 2 Lukala among others.
“These schemes have transformed the lives of the communities in these areas, as they have enough even to come up with nutritional gardens,” said Dr Mlilo.
