City of Harare improves water supply

Harare(New Ziana)- Harare residents have applauded efforts by the City Council to increase the areas that it provides water, including those that had not been receiving the precious liquid for more than 10 years.

In a statement, the Combined Harare Residents Association applauded the City’s efforts of equitably sharing the water that it produced saying it went a long way in ensuring house hold hygiene especially during the COVID-19 era.

The CHRA said the supply of municipal piped water had managed to decongest most community boreholes and people accessing water from mobile water bowsers which were potential areas for the spread of the COVID 19 virus.

It said residents of Mabvuku and Tafara high density suburbs in particular had welcomed the development, since they had not been receiving water for the 10 years.

The CHRA however urged the local authority to improve its water supply coverage to other remaining areas of Harare and work on its billing system as it had the potential of soiling the positive developments.

The High Court last month ordered the Harare City Council to ensure there was safe, constant and adequate supply of clean water during the national lockdown to combat the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.

The ruling followed an application by the CHRA for an order compelling the government and the City of Harare to immediately contract bulk water service providers to provide mobile water tanks to ease crowding at community boreholes.

City fathers were given an option to provide bulk water supplies, but using bowsers to avoid crowds.

The municipality was also ordered to provide maintenance schedules for all dysfunctional boreholes within 24 hours of the judgment.

It was also ordered to deploy enforcement officers at communal water points to ensure people accessing water adhered to the social distancing principle.

The court also tasked the Ministries of Local Government and Public Works, and Health and Child Care to provide oversight in the implementation of the order.

New Ziana