Chitungwiza is sitting on a health time bomb as the water situation continues to deteriorate amid the delayed onset of the rainy season and the effects of the El Nino induced drought. A visit to Chitungwiza revealed that households that used to access tap water once are week are now accessing it once a fortnight and sometimes once a month.
Families that spoke to the Forum in Chitungwiza said they are relying on water from shallow wells or and some are fetching water from Hunyani river which is mixed with sewer exposing the residents to waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid and even cholera. Women and children bear the brunt of water shortages and they are now spending hours of their productive time either in water queues or searching for the precious liquid . Some of the residents are buying water at $0.20 for a bucket and those who cannot afford are denied access to water. The right to clean and safe water is constitutionally guaranteed and Chitungwiza Municipality should find solutions to the water crisis.