The Gokwe Town Council has contracted a private company to drill solar-powered boreholes in the town`s six wards, at a cost of ZW$18 million, 98.4FM News can report.
The town heavily relies on borehole water and efforts to set up a water treatment and pumping plant at Gwehava dam to reduce perennial water shortages have been hitting a snag.
Gokwe Mayor Never Gwanzura said the contractor, BGM, had already sunk the boreholes and was yet to install the solar panels and build tanks.
“There is a company called BGM that we awarded a contract to drill boreholes in all the six wards. The boreholes are meant to be solar-powered so they (BGM) will come to install the solar panels and tanks, that is what is left to be done,” Gwanzura told98.4FM News.
He said the council had paid the contractor ZWL$18m to carry out the project.
“All that`s left is the contractor to come and put solar panels and tanks, but everything is now here at the council yard,” he added.
Gokwe is one of the driest parts of the country and relies on boreholes for water supply. In 2015, UNICEF handed the town eight water pumps to draw water from boreholes and improve the town`s water supply.
Gokwe Town Council has been demanding that Zimbabwe National Water Authority cedes the supply of water to the town to the local authority, accusing ZINWA of failing to provide adequate water to residents.