Douglas Chiteka Herald Reporter
Most suburbs in Harare have gone for more than three weeks without water owing to rationing measures that council introduced to allow for the completion of the upgrading of the Morton Jaffray water works.Harare City Council spokesman Leslie Gwindi told The Herald that the water crisis would only ease when the ongoing upgrading of the water treatment plant was completed.
“The ongoing water shortages in the city should be understood in the context of the on-going upgrading of the Morton Jaffray water treatment plant,” he said.
“We apologize for any inconveniences that residents are experiencing during this period. On average we are producing 470 mega litres per day against a demand of 900 mega litres a day.” City residents are bitter about the water crisis and they say the council should put in place some mechanisms to supply water to residents.
Among the most affected suburbs are Warren Park, Chadcombe, Hatfield, Tafara, Mabvuku, Kuwadzana and Budiriro. The crisis has driven residents to resort to few boreholes and unprotected wells which posed public health risks.
Some suburbs such as Tafara and Mabvuku were now known for being permanently dry and fears abound of typhoid outbreaks.
Last year, Harare City Council secured a US$3 million loan from China’s Export and Import bank to help address the water problem.