THE Bulawayo City Council yesterday said it will continue to maintain a tight cap on water usage by residents and commercial consumers, although it has approved an upward review of the water rationing limits following heavy rains received this year.
BY SILAS NKALA/TALENT GUMPO
Council spokesperson, Nesisa Mpofu yesterday told Southern Eye that: “While the rationing limits have been relaxed, water rationing remains in force as the current water supply system cannot manage to meet unrestricted demand.”
With the upward review, consumers in high-density suburbs will receive 600 litres per day up from 500 litres, while their counterparts in low-density suburbs will receive 900 litres per day up from 750 litres.
Residential flats with bulk meters will get 90% of their normal allocation, while those with individual meters are entitled to 500 litres per day.
“While water rationing allocations have been increased for all areas by 15%, the five kilolitres free water allocation per month remains in place for all residential properties,” Mpofu said.
“The current revision of the water rationing limit follows the last revision, which was carried out in April 2014 when the city had received significant inflows.
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“This led to the relaxation of water rationing following two consecutive years of drought.”
Mpofu said the current water supply in the city’s dams was expected to last at least four years.
Meanwhile, a private health entity, Insight Mobile Imaging, has proposed to partner with the city council in providing affordable mobile radiology services in the city.
According to the latest council minutes, the company has proposed to provide various services that include cost-effective ultrasound scans and general X-rays in various communities to bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots.
The minutes read: “… in providing a high quality, flexible and cost effective diagnostic medical ultrasound services to general practises (sic) surgeries, community clinics and maternity clinics in Bulawayo as well as rural community clinics and district hospitals in the surrounding provinces”.
The minutes say the company aimed to bridge the inequalities that existed in the health care system between urban folk and their rural counterparts, as well as between social classes within the urban centres themselves.
“This would provide equitable health to vulnerable populations especially pregnant mothers, paediatrics, geriatrics and chronic disease patients. Furthermore we can also screen for breast, prostate and cervical cancer to allow for detection of the fatal malignancies,” the minutes read.
