Staff Writer
Villagers in Hurungwe District in Mashonaland West will never walk more than a kilometre in search of safe and clean sources of water with authorities launching a massive borehole drilling programme covering all the 26 wards.
The Hurungwe District Council has acquired a $14 million borehole drilling rig using funds provided through government’s Devolution Funds.
The district received $18,1 million as their share of the Devolution Funds.
In an interview recently, Hurungwe RDC chief executive Luke Kalavina said the fully equipped rig with a compressor and tool kit will feed the province’s contribution to the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal Number 6 of safer and clean water.
“We decided to buy the rig so that we can address one of the major problem in the district, which water shortages where villagers are forced to walk long distances for water.
“The villagers have difficulties in accessing safe and adequate water supply, while in some areas; people were sharing water sources with livestock.
“The Second Republic’s devolution agenda with its results-based approach guided by the Transitional Stabilization Development Programme for 2018 to 2020 encourages local authorities to invest in infrastructure and equipment. As a council, we used our devolution funds to purchase a borehole rig, compressor and tool kit.”
Kalavina the borehole drilling project would ensure a healthy life by preventing disease outbreak through the provision of safe and adequate water for the people within 500 meters as per government policy.
“Besides the provision of safe adequate water, the project wants to address gender disparity related problems as a result of water shortage and climate change issues which poses a great challenge to the water situation.
The borehole drilling rig project is expected to socially and economically transform the lives in 26 wards covering commercial, communal and resettlement areas of Hurungwe district.
“Hurungwe RDC’s water woes were exacerbated by the land reform programme which sought to correct social imbalances created by 100-year-long white colonial rule. We still need to provide commercial farms (A1 and A2) and in communal areas with water as there are inadequate boreholes,” he added.
Climate changes have also threatened water reservoirs in the district.
“Devolution would help communities who were walking long distances to access water; spending long hours in queues and those in the district who were resettled in marginal wards during the colonial era where natives were moved to unproductive areas, access portable and clean water,” Kalavina said.
Hurungwe RDC covers at least 19 678.34km2 and has a total population of 324 675 people according to the 2012 Census Report.
