The Community Water Alliance has urged the government to take a leaf from Cyclone Idai that destroyed property and affected livelihoods to come up with development plans for cities and towns.
“Community Water Alliance expresses condolences to families that have lost their beloved ones in the Eastern parts of Zimbabwe. We stand with victims of the disaster and encourage all our members to extend their gesture by honouring the call for donations made by different organisations.
“We advise that the disaster which has affected livelihoods and destroyed properties, should help inform our Government on future development plans for cities and towns. Wetlands which provide flood attenuation services should be left intact. That way, we reduce the level of damage and save lives,” Community Water Alliance said in a statement.
The water rights lobby group encouraged the Government to provide help to those internally displaced and thanked stakeholders that are pouring in support to victims and potential victims in the affected areas.
Meanwhile, the Community Water Alliance Manicaland provincial leadership visited Chimanimani and Chipinge to assess the impact of cyclone Idai on access to potable water.
The team established that in rural parts of Chimanimani and Chipinge, water from wells (both protected and unprotected) mixed with raw water that was flooding the whole area.
“Although no water testing was done, the observations made point to a possible risk of water related diseases if corrective measures are not taken. We implore the Government of Zimbabwe and different players helping residents of Chipinge and Chimanimani to consider access to potable water in their interventions.”