Tanaka Nyambo
THE Harare City Council has announced a 100-day plan to improve service delivery and provide clean water.
The move follows complaints from residents about the accumulation of waste and a lack of water in high-density areas.
Many Harare residents have experienced healthcare and environmental problems arising from poor service delivery, including air pollution, water contamination and the spread of diseases.
The council plans to remove illegal dumps, deploy street cleaners and install over 1 500 pole litter bins.
The council is also working to increase water production at Morton Jaffray Water Works, and repair and maintain 18 refuse compactors.
Information and Publicity Committee chairperson, Councillor Happymore Gotora, said reports from the consultative processes initiated by council explicitly exhibit areas in which residents and stakeholders desire to be addressed.
“It is from these consultations that the council has shaped a way forward,” said Gotora.
“Waste management and access to clean and usable water as well as health services are among prerequisites to an ideal living environment, as they contribute to the alleviation of the spread of diseases, hence, promoting efficiency and effectiveness in society.
“Council is to initiate removal of all illegal dumps in residential areas and declare the central business district a litter-free zone by ensuring that street cleaners have been deployed.
“We are working with the Environmental Management Agency to see to it that waste collection assets are being used in western suburbs to remove illegal dumps.”
He said they had so far covered Dzivaresekwa, Kuwadzana, Mufakose, Budiriro, Glen View and Glen Norah.
“The amount of waste generated in Harare is increasing and this has to be matched by adequate refuse collection assets.
“In response to the declared State of Disaster, the council is carrying out rehabilitation works at Morton Jaffray Water Works which will increase water production capacity.
“We are aware that more still needs to be done on water pipe replacement, which is capital intensive, in order to reduce physical water losses.”