Central Mozambique cities without water for at least two months

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Central Mozambique cities without water for at least two months

7:06 CAT | 20 Sep 2016

DW / In Chimoio, residents are having to resort to traditional wells, rivers, lakes and standpipes for water for daily consumption.

Thirty-seven neighbourhoods in Chimoio and Vila Ferroviária de Gondola, in Manica province, central Mozambique, are without water. Taps connected to Investment and Water Assets Fund (FIPAG) networks have not been gushing the precious liquid for as long as two months in some areas.

It is estimated that the lack of water is affecting more than one third of Chimoio’s 370,000 inhabitants.

The company responsible for the water supply in Manica province says service is suspended due to maintenance works and the low level of the water in the region’s reservoirs.

Rainha Zamuia Joao, who lives in Chimoio, described the situation as alarming, as residents have to resort to traditional wells, rivers, lakes and standpipes for water for daily consumption. And according to the resident, this water is not safe to drink.

“To find the water we have to leave at dawn and travel long distances, trusting only to luck. It’s a risky business. We are asking the government authorities for help resolving the situation, which leaves much to be desired,” Zamuia says.

Difficulties getting water

Another resident, Albertina Chico says that the taps in the region have run dry for a long time, and says that the authorities have not explained why the service has been suspended.

“Even though there are restrictions in the water supply, FIPAG continues to send bllls. For now, we have no supply. Do the managers not know that? We are suffering. Our complaints are not heard, and they forget that it is the people who elect those who govern. And another factor is the rising prices, increasingly high invoices comes as if we’re actually consuming,” she says indignantly.

Jossefa Francisco, one of the managers of a standpipe in Chimoio region, says that the situation is unfortunate because, due to high demand, many people leave without water even after spending a long time waiting in the queue to fill containers with drinking water.

“It’s bad here because we only have one standpipe. There are no other pumps to meet the demand. I’ve had countless people these last two months. Demand has been increasing due to FIPAG restrictions and the fountain can’t keep up” Francisco says.

Company justifies suspension

The director of FIPAG operations in the area, Victor Tuacale, told DW that the suspension of the water supply was due to network maintenance. According to the director, the problem is gradually being addressed.

“Another restricting factor is the continuous drawdown in the Chicamba reservoir, where we now have a quota of 607.46 m, thus increasing operating costs because of the use of emergency pumps. The water supply is also partially paralysed by obsolete pipes,” he said.

FIPAG has a total portfolio of 43,953 customers, of which 42,750 are domestic, and operates 159 standpipes in Manica, Chimoio and Gondola.

Source: Deutsche Welle