The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) has warned a humanitarian crisis in Harare due to the decommissioning of the Prince Edward water purification plant.
The plant’s closure, resulting from the lack of raw water in the Seke and Harava Dams, has led to a daily loss of 70-80 megaliters of water, exacerbating the existing water crisis, as indicated by a statement issued by the residents.
The CHRA attributes the crisis to the El Nino-induced drought and climate change, stating that there is a need for inclusive climate action and disaster risk reduction planning.
“We reiterate that the lack of raw water in the Seke and Harava dams due to the El Nino-induced drought is a reality of the impact and effects of climate change which require inclusive climate action and disaster risk reduction planning for resilience building.
“The water crisis has been further worsened by unregulated commercial and water abstraction that has seen the lowering of the water table resulting in most domestic boreholes drying up.
“As residents turn to groundwater as an alternative to this deepened water crisis, we recommend regular chemical and biological water testing for boreholes to ascertain the quality of water,” reads the statement.
The residents urge robust resource mobilization to finance disaster mitigation efforts. They recommend: “Given the deepened water crisis, the government and local authorities (City of Harare and Chitungwiza Municipality) must set aside an emergency fund for the provision of alternative water supplies (mobile water bowsers), installation of online chlorinators on all public boreholes and distribution of chlorine tablets.
“Development of inclusive disaster risk reduction and climate action plans at the community level for local resilience building.
“The government needs to disburse meaningful amounts of devolution funds to the City of Harare, and these funds should be channeled towards financing of improving water infrastructure in particular reduction of non-revenue water currently standing between 40-50%,” reads the statement.
Civil Society Organisations, local authorities, and government were also urged to unite “in the call for sustainable use of the available water (water conservation) and effective water resources management including the protection of wetlands which are our water sources.
“The Environmental Management Agency must monitor water pollution and use the law to deter water pollution in rivers that are upstream of Lake Chivero,” reads the statement.
