BY KENNETH NYANGANI
Mutare residents yesterday said the local authority should stop developing more residential stands until it has resolved the water crisis facing the existing properties.
Mutare Residents Ratepayers’ Association director David Mutambirwa told NewsDay that the local municipality had proved to have no capacity to supply water to the entire city.
“I attended a water summit in Harare last week and some people were saying Mutare has the best water, yes, Mutare was known for having clean water,” he said.
“I told the delegates that Mutare no longer has the best water, the quality of water has deteriorated, so this should be addressed.
“Another issue is that Mutare City Council should stop developing stands until it has the capacity to provide water. Just imagine we have some areas in Dangamvura which have not had water for 20 years and they are developing Fern Hill suburb which is further than Dangamvura,” he added.
Last month, most suburbs in Mutare went for two weeks without water, with most schools turning away pupils for fear of an outbreak of water-borne diseases.
Council has blamed the water crisis on contamination at Odzani Treatment Plant in Mutasa due to illegal gold panning activities along the Pungwe River.
