Water supplies in Idai hit areas restored 

Source: Water supplies in Idai hit areas restored | The Herald April 26, 2019

Cyclone Idai left a trail of destruction

THE Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has resuscitated all but one of its water supply stations that were affected or had equipment damaged by the recent Cyclone Idai.

The authority has since restored normal service at Murambinda, Nyanyadzi, Matendeudze, Chibuwe, Tanganda, Birchenough Bridge, Rimbi, Odzi, Romsely, Zimunya, Checheche and Chipangayi water supply stations which were all affected by the recent cyclone.

People in the areas are now receiving normal water supplies. Also restored are Nyanyadzi and Middle Sabi Irrigation systems.

The interventions by Zinwa in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai are in line with the Authority’s mandate as spelt out in the Zinwa Act. In terms of section 5 of the Zinwa Act, Zinwa is mandated to mitigate the impacts of floods and drought.

Zinwa has also restored water supplies in Chimanimani and Chipinge with the majority of households already having water on their taps. Chimanimani and Chipinge water systems are managed by their respective rural districts councils and Zinwa intervened in its capacity as the Government’s water resources management lead agency.

In the case of Chipinge, the water treatment plant is now fully functional while the Zinwa teams on the ground have also managed to repair three out of the seven boreholes in the area.

Only Biriwiri water supply station is yet to be restored and work is already underway to ensure that normal pumping resumes at the station.

The works carried out so far cost RTG$750 000 and managed to just restore basic water supplies with more work still needed to ensure that the restoration of the systems to their previous state.

Some of the works that Zinwa carried out include the replacement of washed away water delivery mains, replacement of washed away reticulation pipelines, replacement of flooded pump sets and the repair of blown away water storage facilities roofs.

In the case of damaged irrigation infrastructure at Middle Sabi, the Authority repaired the eroded irrigation canal embankment, repaired canal access roads, removed silt from the overnight storage dams and replaced washed away canal panels.

The Authority has also, through its Groundwater Section, drilled boreholes at Ngangu Primary School, the Village Camp in Chamanimani, Birchenough Bridge and Tanganda.

Water has also been made available at all accessible camps through water bowsers and tanks that Zinwa has deployed as part of its interventions to bring safe potable water to affected communities. A total of 46 water tanks and two water bowsers were deployed in the affected areas to ensure that people accessed safe potable water.

The Authority will continue to work with all the relevant stakeholders in alleviating the plight of the people affected by Cyclone Idai.

For more information, please contact the Zinwa Corporate Communications and Marketing Department on callcentre@zinwa.co.zw or visit the Zinwa website www.zinwa.co.zw. You can also follow us on Twitter @zinwawater or like the Zimbabwe National Water Authority Facebook Page