Cholera scare as water shortages hit Chiwaridzo

WATER shortage is common in almost every urban community in the country. While
governments and their town councils work tirelessly to bring the special liquid to the
consumers, it has been a tall order for them to overcome.
This has been due to the ever increasing populations in towns and cities.
With rural-to-urban migration at its highest, the demand for water is also rising.
Some communities are ending up resorting to open wells as their only sources of
water.
However, the shortage at the same time is a bargaining chance for bulk water
suppliers, who then capitalise on the shortages and distribute the precious liquid for
a price.
In areas like Chiwaridzo, Phase 2 and Garikai, this has been their way of life for
nearly two years now.
Households are being forced, by the situation, to dig own wells at their small high-
density stands, for the resource.
According to Councillor Edward Nyekete, the area councillor, for nearly a year and
some months, residents in Ward 12 have not seen a drop of water from their indoor
taps.
“My mission as of now is to push for water supplies to the community. We shall be
drilling boreholes to supplement council water but, we are also saying if there are
individuals or corporates willing to help us access water, come on board and help
our community,” said Nyekete.
He said he is scared that with the shortage of water and reported cases of cholera
across the country, cholera might strike the ward.
Water shortages necessitate cholera manifestations due to poor hygiene practices.
Water must be readily available in urban communities due to their toilet systems and
for other hygiene purposes in general.
The unavailability of water promotes open defacation, which then leads to diseases
like cholera and dysentery as well diarrhoea.
In recent works, Bindura Municipality’s water supply was compromised. Households
could hardly water their gardens to their satisfaction.
Town Clerk, Evelyn Madziire, said they had experienced a heavy leakage on one of
their big pipes from the reservoir but, had repaired it.
However, the unavailability of water persists to date.