Minister hands over water disinfectant kits to Zinwa

Kimberleigh Jiro

Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement Minister, Perence Shiri, today (Friday) handed over 40 000 units of water guard, a water disinfectant kit to the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) as the ministry joined the rest of the world in marking world water day. The disinfectant will be issued to rural communities for water treatment at household level.

The Zimbabwe government partnered with UNICEF in its water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme to improve water and sanitation services, as well as basic hygiene practices.

In his address the Minister said, “each dose will treat 30 litres of water, and in light of the Covid-19 threat, will address some of the WASH challenges associated with clean safe water.”

The Government is also working to capacitate ZINWA to drill boreholes for vulnerable communities and in perennially drought prone districts.

“Already the authority is in the process of rehabilitating 933 non-functional boreholes to help improve the availability of potable water for rural communities, “ minister Shiri added.

Clean drinking water, hygiene, and sanitation play an important part in maintaining health amid the coronavirus pandemic.