GURUVE residents heaved a sigh of relief after 11 solar-powered boreholes were sunk at the growth point and surrounding villages under the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme.
Water to the growth point was recently turned off following cyanide spillage from the nearby Eureka Gold Mine into Dande River.
Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) spokesperson Marjorie Munyonga said Zimwa had “suspended water production at the authority’s water treatment plant in Guruve to allow the Zinwa quality assurance section and other stakeholders to carry out investigations”.
“To ensure continued access to water by residents while investigations and possible remedial action were being taken, a total of 11 boreholes were drilled at Guruve Centre and in nearby villages,” she said.
At least 7 000 people had been affected by the cyanide spillage with Eureka Gold Mine group corporate governance manager Elisha Dhlembeu last week saying “mitigation actions were also taken immediately and the discharge was treated to neutralise the cyanide before it got to the Dande River”.
He also revealed that the flow was “effectively contained, and the discharge seized within two hours of the incident”.
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Prevail Group International chairperson Paul Tungwarara, whose firm was contracted to drill the boreholes for the Presidential Scheme, said they swiftly reacted to the crisis to fulfil their mandate.
“We will always step up, especially where there is a problem. We have since drilled four boreholes for the community and we are in the process of sinking more boreholes,” he said.