Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
BINGA Rural District Council (RDC) has approached 12 Non-Governmental Organisations operating in the district to help develop water sources.
An ongoing water crisis facing Binga Centre and surrounding areas as a result of a power outage has left businesses and residents in a desperate situation.
Binga RDC chief executive officer Mr Joshua Muzamba told The Chronicle that the local authority met 12 out of 15 NGOs operating in the district over the water crisis.
He said council would, in due course, start surveying areas where possible water sources could be developed.
“The situation is unfortunate especially considering that water is life. Residents are facing the danger of contracting diseases and being attacked by crocodiles in the river and unfortunately we can’t drill boreholes nearby because of topography,” Mr Muzamba said.
The nearest borehole to Binga Centre is 4km away and as a result residents have no option but to fetch raw water from the Zambezi River.
“We are discussing with stakeholders such as non-governmental organisations which I can’t name for now. We are having strong discussions for mitigatory measures for water provision to critical institutions such as the hospital as well as for residents even if it means by-passing Zinwa,” Mr Muzamba said.
“We had a meeting yesterday with 12 out of the 15 NGOs that operate in the district and we pointed out to them the crisis we have and how they can chip in to help in strategic areas like water provision. We hope that as we go into 2017 they will consider this in their budgets.”
Three weeks ago, Binga District Hospital was forced to attend to emergencies only while Binga High School and Binga Primary School also sent pupils back home because of lack of water.
The Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services was also not spared resulting in inmates being made to fetch water from the Zambezi River.
The local authority ended up cushioning the hospital by supplying water bowsers.
Fast food operators were also forced to drive as far as 60km out of Binga Centre to fetch water from village boreholes.-@ncubeleon