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Staff Writer
Prevail Group International (PGI) has taken its borehole drilling scheme to rural Plumtree to provide villagers desperate for portable clean water.
Plumtree, a district in Matabeleland South province is facing a grave water crisis worsened by an El Nino-induced drought.
Several water sources have since dried up, with villagers walking long distances to fetch water.
To address this, drillers under the Presidential drilling scheme had to work through the Easter holiday to sink boreholes in Plumtree.
This ambitious programme, overseen by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa), aims to address water challenges and transform the livelihoods of residents in rural areas.
Prevail Group International chairperson, Paul Tungwarara, whose company is drilling the boreholes, said they had to work during the Easter holiday to ensure that villagers have access to clean water.
The firm has been contracted to drill approximately 10,000 boreholes and further install irrigation facilities under the presidential borehole drilling initiative.
It aligns with the government’s efforts to improve water access in remote communities, supporting both horticulture and domestic usage.
“We are working round the clock to ensure that people have access to potable water. It is business as usual, despite it being a holiday. We are installing 100 solar-powered boreholes in Plumtree,” he said.
“Our teams are on the ground installing solar-powered boreholes in Plumtree and Masvingo. The programme is being implemented across the country and we have drilled quite several boreholes in many parts of the country.”
Meanwhile, the Buhera district is also set to benefit from 100 solar-powered boreholes ahead of the 44th Independence Day celebrations to be held near Murambinda growth point.
Tungwarara said they had since drilled 60 boreholes in Buhera, adding that they would reach the target before April 18.
“Our target is to drill 100 boreholes in villages across Buhera district and as of Friday yesterday, we were at 60. We are certain that we will reach the target before April 18,” said Tungwarara.
The government is aiming to provide a borehole for each of the country’s 35,000 villages by 2025, as well as nutrition gardens.
In addition to its borehole drilling project, PGI recently launched the presidential Solar Installation programme in Glen View being spearheaded by its subsidiary Zimbabwe Solar Energy Company (ZISEC).
The pilot project, which has a partnership with the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), aims to install solar panels in 600 households.
The power generated will be fed into the national grid, contributing to the country’s energy needs.
It is PGI’s goal to contribute to improving living conditions in Zimbabwe and promoting sustainable development through collaboration with the government.