GOVERNMENT has brought smiles to Binga residents who have
been struggling for years to access potable water due to incessant failure by
the centre’s aging treatment plant to pump adequate water for domestic and
commercial consumption.
Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Deputy
Minister Douglas Karoro yesterday commissioned a $2 million newly completed
water treatment plant at Binga Centre on behalf of Minister Perrance Shiri.
Unlike the old plant, which pumped 60 cubic metres per
hour, the new one has a capacity to pump 100 cubic metres of water hourly.
This will pave way for the connection of 300 new consumers
in Binga Centre and Manjolo Business Centre.
Minister Shiri said the upgrading of the water treatment
works will usher in a new trajectory for the local community and help unlock a
wide array of opportunities for residents.
He said the new project will help improve water storage and
ensure uninterrupted supply to consumers in the event of power outages.
“Government treats water issues seriously. We firmly
believe in centrality of water availability in the attainment of Vision 2030
and ultimate realisation of Sustainable Development Goal number six which
compels and thrusts upon member States an obligation to at least reduce by
half, the number of people lacking access to safe potable water,” said Minister
Shiri.
He said the commissioning of the plant comes at a time
Zimbabwe is battling the Covid-19 global pandemic, which has claimed thousands
of lives across the globe. “The completion of the water treatment plant is
therefore a welcome opportune development that dovetails critically well with
the ongoing efforts by Government to contain the spread of Covid-19. Government
continues to invest substantially in the construction of critical water
infrastructure that help the country turn around it’s economic fortunes and
productivity mainly in the area of agriculture,” he said.
Minister Shiri said the Zimbabwe National Water Authority
(Zinwa) is in the process of rehabilitating boreholes across the country to
improve access to water by rural communities with priority being given to
water-stressed, drought-prone areas.
Matabeleland North will soon be home to the country’s third
largest inland water body, Gwayi-Shangani Dam with a capacity of 650 million
cubic metres. The dam project, which is under construction, is also expected to
address perennial water challenges in Bulawayo.
A pipeline is envisaged to connect Bulawayo and provide the
basis for the establishment of a greenbelt along the way to the city. In
addition, the dam is expected to produce hydroelectric energy to be fed into
the national grid.
Zinwa chief executive officer Engineer Taurai Maurikira
said the Binga water treatment plant will enhance water supply and boost water
storage and reticulation system. He said the plant was wholly funded by
Government under the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP).
Other places to benefit under the programme include
Inyathi, Dete, Filabusi, Colleen Bawn and Nyamandlovu Aquifers where Zinwa
recently completed the emergency borehole rehabilitation works to alleviate
Bulawayo’s water crisis.
Binga RDC chief executive officer Mr Joshua Muzamba said
the centre has been facing critical water shortages despite its proximity to
the Zambezi River.
“We are very excited about this development because our
town is growing. We have challenges in terms of pumping capacity given that we
have 3 000 units of constructed homes in Manjolo business centre, which is our
next town after Binga Centre. Binga is part of the Victoria Falls Special
Economic Zone and needs a lot of water,” he said.
Mr Muzamba said the local authority has been struggling to
supply its rural service centres with enough water due to lack of pumping
capacity. Binga Residents’ Association vice chairman Mr Samson Sibanda said the
new plant will enhance water supply in some residential areas previously
deprived of the commodity
He lauded Government for addressing their challenges.
Chronicle
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