Zinwa Embarks On Borehole Drilling Exercise In Zimbabwe

The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has embarked on a massive borehole drilling exercise and it is targeting to drill 35 000 boreholes countrywide by 2025.

Each village is expected to have at least one borehole in an effort to mitigate water challenges and help transform people’s livelihoods, especially in rural communities.

Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter

The water authority has so far drilled close to 300 boreholes countrywide this year, as efforts to improve access to water by rural communities and transform livelihoods through horticulture and domestic usage intensify.

The development dovetails with Government policy of devolution and decentralisation of services to communities for improved service delivery and economic development, anchored on the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) towards the country’s aspirations for an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.

Zinwa Embarks On Borehole Drilling Exercise In Zimbabwe

Zinwa spokesperson Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said the water authority is working with Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution in respective provinces in identifying sites for boreholes, based on needs of each respective community.“Zinwa is involved in the drilling of 35 000 boreholes countrywide during the NDS1 period to improve rural livelihoods. During the year 2021, 1 800 boreholes were targeted.

The ultimate intention of the programme is to have at least a borehole per village and reduce to less than one kilometre, the average distance one has to travel to get water,” said Mrs Munyonga.

She said Zinwa, whose mandate is to manage the country’s water resources, targets to have drilled 35 000 new boreholes by 2025. Mrs Munyonga said 276 have since been drilled so far.

The projects were disturbed by Covid-19 which stalled progress. To expedite progress, Mrs Munyonga said Zinwa is procuring 40 borehole drilling rigs which will be delivered starting next month.

“These boreholes are expected to anchor the Presidential Horticultural Programme which will, in turn, lead to the creation of village industrial centres in line with the rural industrialisation agenda,” she said.In Matabeleland North drilling has started in Lusulu and Binga. Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Richard Moyo said the borehole drilling programme is one of the many initiatives being implemented by the Second Republic to improve livelihoods.

“Teams are on the ground and this is what we are doing as the Second Republic to make sure we develop our country.” www.chronicle.co.zw