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Lovemore Zigara, Midlands Correspondent
THE Africa Development Bank (AfDB) has extended a $2,1 million grant to Redcliff Municipality to be channelled towards public works programmes in water and sanitation.

Redcliff Mayor, Councillor Fred Kapuya, said the facility will be used for the redesigning of sewer lines in Rutendo high density suburb as well as the setting up of a water clarifier plant in the satellite town.

“We have received funding from Africa Development Bank to the tune of $2,1 million, which will go towards the redesigning of Rutendo sewer lines. They are also going to build a water clarifier centre plant in Rutendo and Torwood and this has taken the burden from our budget, which is going to come down by over 50 percent this year,” he said.

The mayor said the setting up of the water clarifier would ensure the town has water reserves in its reservoirs which were refurbished early this year that can take the town for more than a week in case of emergencies.

The infrastructural developments especially in water supply are part of the grand plan of supplying the satellite town with its water needs in the next five years.

Clr Kapuya said the local authority will draw water from Texas Dam and from underground where it is believed that there large reservoirs of the liquid.

“As Redcliff we can use Texas Dam though it is no longer adequate to cater for the growing population and we are currently in engagements with the Zinwa over the issue so that we can have our own water source as a municipality. There are also studies, which are being carried out that there could be an aquifer underneath Redcliff and if results come out positive then we can also tap into that,” he said.

He said feasibility studies have been carried out to come up with the budget for the project.

Redcliff receives water supplies from Kwekwe City Council through New Zimsteel, which is the water authority for the satellite town.

Kwekwe City Council is owed $15 million by New Zimsteel for water supplies to Redcliff.