Water Crisis, a ticking time bomb for Nkayi community
Gracious Ndlovu
NKAYI- Community members in Gwelutshena village, in Ward 4 of Nkayi are living in fear of water-borne disease outbreaks amidst a critical water crisis and are calling for government to intervene by drilling boreholes in the area, Community Podium has gathered.
Since 2013, villagers and government workers in the area have resorted to buying water from Majuwe, a nearby village, because the only borehole in Gwelutshena Centre is overwhelmed by high demand for the precious liquid and is currently inoperative.
The water challenge is a cause of grave of concern considering the economic hardships in the country which have further been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Councilor for Ward 4, Vinika Ncube confirmed the dire situation to this publication.
” The water situation in Gwelutshena is indeed terrible and we are very much aware of it. Before 2013, we had a piped water system which was run by the Zimabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA), but it collapsed due to pipe bursts. Rehabilitative measures were taken to repair the pipes only at Majuwe village which was priviledged to have a restored functional system. Other villages were left out because their burst pipes were deemed beyond repair.
A borehole was drilled at Gwelutshena Training Centre to cater for our clinic, primary and secondary schools, veterinary premises and two villages namely Mloyiswa and Maphane. Unfortunately, the borehole is currently out of order and about USD 250 is needed to repair it,” said Ncube.
Ncube further highlighted the plight of residents in the face of the pandemic which requires constant washing of hands to keep the virus at bay. He also decried the lurking risk of a proliferation of water-borne diseases.
“People from Majuwe, Gangamuje and Ncema are cashing in on our desperation by selling water at $1 for two buckets and this is development has become a financial albatross around our necks.The community is also at risk of contracting water-borne diseases as some of this water being sold is drawn from open, unprotected water sources like dams and uncovered wells. Something has to be done soon,” said Ncube.
A teacher from Gwelutshena Primary, who preferred anonymity bemoaned the unavailability of water at schools around the area and called on authorities to expeditiously address the issue. She revealed that, in trying to mitigate the situation, children are now obliged to carry their own water to school.
“Each child is now required to bring a 2 litre container of water everyday to clean toilets, classrooms and for washing their hands. This needs to be addressed urgently to create a conducive learning environment for learners because we are treading on thin ice. Public institutions cannot run without a sufficient supply of water,” said the visibly disgruntled teacher.
Sthandinkosi Ndlovu, a villager from Mloyiswa, shared the same sentiments.
“I have to walk for 5 km every day while carrying a 20-litre container. I fetch water for domestic use at a borehole located in Vuma village.There is no more clean water in the village now. The only clean source of water which we had is currently not working.The nearest source of water is a dam with unsafe water due to the fact that our animals drink from the same dam.I use this dam’s water for bathing, cleaning and washing clothes,” she said.
A nurse at Gwelutshena clinic also complained about the unsustainability of running a health centre without water.
“Running a clinic without water is not easy.We are dealing with sensitive life issues. It is unhygienic to operate without water at a clinic, especially during this time of Covid 19. We now rely on water that is brought by patients because our clinic doesn’t have any water.. Each patient must bring at least 5 litres of water,” she said.
She was however skeptical about the safety of the water and expressed fears of vulnerability to diseases given that villagers fetch the water from unprotected sources.
