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Residents, council clash over poor town planning

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KAROI residents and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) have raised objections at the council’s recent decision to set up a new residential area adjacent to the town’s second major supply dam.

KAROI residents and the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) have raised objections at the council’s recent decision to set up a new residential area adjacent to the town’s second major supply dam.

By Nhau Mangirazi

The issue came up three months ago after Karoi Town Council allocated residential stands for the proposed Chiedza high-density suburb on the confluence of Karoi Dam.

The residents have since petitioned council to stop the move, saying the suburb would desilt and contaminate the dam.

“Creation of residential stands in this area has serious repercussions to the life of Karoi Dam that is the secondary source of raw water for the expanding town,’’ part of the petition signed by Concerned Karoi Residents’ Association said.

Residents’ spokesperson Mike Tembo said the petition was delivered to Karoi Town Council, district administrator’s office, Hurungwe Central MP Godfrey Beremauro as well as the district office of the Environmental Management Agency (Ema), among other stakeholders.

But town clerk Wellington Mutikani said he was yet to receive the petition.

“I am sorry I cannot comment on an issue that has not been brought to my attention,” Mutikani said in a text message to NewsDay.

Beneficiaries of the new housing scheme claimed that some of the stands were pegged on top of sewer pipes behind Karoi Dam wall.

“The town planner allocated four stands on top of a sewer pipe, it is disastrous for beneficiaries. They should not have allocated stands to anyone here,” a Chiedza resident, Ronald Tamanikwa said.

Zinwa spokesperson Marjory Munyonga said the new residential area would affect the town’s water security.

“Siltation reduces water bodies’ capacity for future use and it is a threat to water security. It affects water for both present and future generations. The authority will, therefore, work closely with other arms of government, including EMA to ensure such activities are stopped as water is a strategic and finite resource for everyone. We need to be responsible in our actions,” she said.

EMA officials had not yet responded to questions e-mailed to them.