Piped water system a relief

Piped water system a relief

By Letwin Mazarura

The construction of a piped water system in Mangwe district, which is seen as key to addressing perennial water shortages in the area, is now almost 95% complete.

Matabeleland South District Development Fund (DDF) planning officer Moment Malandu confirmed the progress of development.

“Mambale piped water scheme, which is 100% sponsored by the government of Zimbabwe through the Social Welfare Department, is underway” Malandu said.
“It is now 95% complete. The scheme covers an average area network of 14km and extracts water using sand abstraction”.
Oxfam and the District Water and Sanitation Subcommittee (DWSSC) have started conducting community training in Brunapeg on how to sustain and maintain water points.

Malandu said DWSSC, in conjunction with World Vision is to construct two-piped water schemes in schools to benefit the community.

He said another sponsor had promised to assist with three piped water schemes to cover various areas in Mangwe.

“Oxfam is working on establishing three piped water schemes that are well-spread in the district” he said.

“One is in Mayobodo to cover the clinic and school and the community, one at Madabe to cover the clinic, school and business center and one at Empandeni to cover DDF base camp clinic and school”.

He added: “DWSSC and World Vision established two piped water schemes.

One at Kwite which covers the school, business center and community, and one at Vaka School, this covers the school, community and business center and community.

In this area, there are several of activities and the area is along the border of Zimbabwe and Botswana”.

DWSSC noticed that the Vaka area has a serious shortage of water and the water table does not favor drilling new boreholes.

So, a piped water scheme on an already existing perennial water source was the solution.”

Malandu said they had also constructed toilets at Marula Clinic and provided a water tank, submissive pump and helped in the construction works.

He said the area is located in region five, hence the intervention in the form of piped water schemes was welcome.