Harare, March 23 (NNN-NEW ZIANA) Zimbabwe’s Vice-President Joice Mujuru has called on the people to properly manage the water scarcity being faced in the country so that it does not become an impediment to socio-economic development.
Speaking at ceremonies to mark World Water Day Thursday, Mujuru said Zimbabwe, like the rest of the countries in southern Africa, was facing fresh problems over the scarcity of water.
“Water is an essential resource for all socio-economic development and for the maintenance of healthy eco-systems. The increasing stress on fresh water resources brought about by the ever-rising demand, as well as the growing pollution in Zimbabwe is of serious concern,� she said.
With the completion of the land reform programme, she said, there was likely to be an increase in demand for water because of the swelling number of farmers, leading to competition for the resource, she added.
Pollution of the resources was another problem that needed to be tackled as it had the capacity to deprive the nation of water sources.
The country had however taken an integrated approach to ensure sustainable and efficient management of water resources, she said, noting that at the national level, integrated water resources management plans had been developed in the country’s seven catchment areas.
Meanwhile, It was reported that major electrical faults at treatment plants had cut water supplies to many Harare suburbs, with the eastern suburbs last seeing water drip from their taps on Monday.
The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) is pumping at just over half its capacity and blames power utility Zesa Holdings for delays in rectifying the problem, Thursday's Herald newspaper reported. Zesa Holdings believes it will have the faults fixed by late Thursday.