Minister of Environment Water and Climate, Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri on Monday commissioned new borehole drilling rigs and support trucks procured by government to accelerate the country's drive to ensure universal access to water for all citizens.
Speaking at the commissioning of the new borehole rigs in Harare, Muchinguri said rigs are part of the broader efforts by the new government to ensure that communities have improved access to water for primary use.
"Our constitution recognizes water as basic human right and points out that Government, within the limits of resources available to it should progressively ensure the realization of this right by all Zimbabweans. These drilling rigs and related equipment procured by Government for ZINWA are part of a fleet that will ensure that there will be at least one drilling rig for every province,
"The rigs are part of the broader efforts by the new Government to ensure that our communities have improved access to water for primary use as well as to support access to water, sanitation and activities to improve food security in the broader context of the water-food nexus,
"In the just ended 100 days 78 wet boreholes were drilled countrywide and in the New 100 day rapid results programme which we started on the 11th of April we will drill an additional 70 new boreholes funded by our Government through the Water Fund," said Muchinguri.
She added that the government of the Republic of China weighed in with an additional 500 boreholes in the agreements sealed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa during their recent visit to China.
Complementing the efforts by government, DFID and UNICEF are working with the Ministry of Water in implementing the second phase of the Rural Wash Programme which will also see the rehabilitation of another 1020 boreholes and the construction of 12 piped water schemes in Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central and Manicaland Provinces.
Government also commissioned 140 motorbikes that will be used for monitoring of catchments to ensure that communities are preserving water resources and adhering to registration for commercial water abstraction prescribed in the Water Act 20:24.
