Zimbabwe has cut water supplies to the capital Harare, state media reported on Monday, leaving most of the city dry as authorities struggle to contain a cholera epidemic.
Since the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) had failed to find chemicals to treat the water supply, the state-run utility on Sunday stopped pumping water in the capital, the government mouthpiece *Herald* newspaper said. "Most parts of Harare -- including the city centre -- did not get water yesterday [Sunday] amid claims by Zinwa staff that the authority had stopped pumping after it ran out of one of the essential chemicals," the *Herald*reported. Residents in Harare's populous sister city of Chitungwiza said that their taps had also run dry. People throughout the city were carrying containers searching for water, while others have resorted to digging shallow wells in their yards in the hope of finding water. Some government offices have closed down due to the lack of water and sanitation in the buildings. The city has suffered water cuts for years, prompting wealthier residents to install deep wells or cisterns. But the city-wide cut appeared aimed at stopping the flow of untreated water around Harare, which is at the epicentre of the cholera epidemic. Cholera is a highly contagious, but treatable disease that causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting that can kill a patient within hours. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [EMAIL PROTECTED] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [EMAIL PROTECTED] . -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
