The ManicaPost
Senior Reporter
THE Zimbabwe National Water Authority has started disconnecting thousands of defaulting irrigators, among other defaulting clients, in a move that will compromise productivity at farms and irrigation schemes countrywide.
Irrigation agriculture plays a unique role, and cutting availability of irrigation water would threaten the viability of farming.
Water is the biggest limiting factor in the country’s ability to feed a growing population and the link between food, energy, climate, economic growth and human security challenges.
Irrigation holds the most promise for increasing food productivity and security, provided it is managed efficiently. Steady irrigation combined with optimum delivery of fertilisers, seed care, crop enhancement and crop protection products can make fields more productive, even with a reliable supply of rain and is crucial to maintain productivity in times of drought.
ZINWA corporate communications and marketing manager, Mrs Marjorie Munyonga, said the water authority had embarked on a massive water disconnection exercise to irrigators, Government departments, parastatals, local authorities, domestic users, industry and mines in a bid to recover $150 million it is being owed.
“As of December 31, 2016, various clients owed ZINWA $146, 117, 812. Among the clients are irrigators, Government departments, parastatals, local authorities, domestic users, industry and mines.
“The ongoing exercise will see the disconnection of water supplies for all clients whose accounts are in arrears and all clients who have reneged on the payment plans they entered into with ZINWA,” said Mrs Munyonga.
Mrs Munyonga revealed that some clients had become abusive and were not co-operating with ZINWA personnel carrying out the disconnections.
“ZINWA takes serious exception to reports of threats and harassment directed at its staff during this exercise and will like to warn all those people issuing such threats that it is illegal, under the Water Act, to obstruct a duly authorised officer from carrying out his or her duties,” warned Mrs Munyonga.
After numerous complaints about inexplicably high water bills, Mrs Munyonga, insisted that a moratorium allowing water to keep flowing to clients can only be granted to those who have entered into acceptable payment plants with the water authority.
“The authority continues to reiterate that service can only be sustained when water users pay for the services they receive. ZINWA therefore advises all those clients whose accounts are not paid up to make sure that they pay up or enter into acceptable payment plans with their respective ZINWA catchment offices.
“All clients who have queries regarding their bills are advised to visit their respective ZINWA catchment offices for assistance or contact the ZINWA national call centre. This disconnection exercise is part of raft of measures ZINWA has employed in order to enforce payment for service by clients.
Other measures include legal action and continuous engagement of owing clients,” said Mrs Munyonga. Mrs Munyonga added that non-payment of bills by clients had negatively impacted on ZINWA’s ability to sustainably provide critical services like repairing and maintaining water reticulation infrastructure, procuring critical spares and procurement of water treatment chemicals as well as payment of statutory obligations such as taxes, levies, creditors and salaries.
ZINWA also appealed to water users to use the resource sparingly and efficiently to avoid huge and unsustainable water bills.
Farmers should implement solutions that have the potential of increasing the efficiency, equity and sustainability of water use.
This will require a shift from the focus on pure “land productivity” without concern for water use to “water productivity,” that is, getting the highest yield out of every drop of water used in agriculture.
Resource efficient methods and technology will allow farmers to grow more food with less water while protecting biodiversity.
