More than 2 000 boreholes have so far been drilled countrywide out of the targeted 10 000 by November this year, with Government deploying more than 36 groups in provinces as the Second Republic steps up its Presidential Borehole Drilling programme.
At least 429 village business units have been created, with 100 more expected in a week's time as Government moves with its mantra of "leaving no one and no place behind" in its development thrust.
This was said by Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister, Dr Anxious Masuka, during a question and answer session in the National Assembly last week.
"It is a Government programme that each village head should have a place where we will drill a borehole. We put up solar power and tanks and also have drip irrigation on a one hectare place.
"We will also have two fish ponds. Thereafter, we get a company for that village. Every villager will be a shareholder in that company and after that it will be a business, going forward.
"We have a programme to have 10 000 boreholes before we reach November this year. At the present moment, we have about 36 groups, which are in the provinces, busy implementing the programme. So far we have created about 429 village units."
Dr Masuka said before this Friday, 535 boreholes would have been added.
"We believe that if we continue with this projectile, most of the villages in regions 4 and 5 will be covered. We are concentrating on those regions where there is less rain," he said.
The programme will continue despite instances where they face challenges related to financial resources, said Dr Masuka.
"This is what is affecting these programmes. Sometimes we think of stopping the drilling, up until we have managed to source resources so as to put up the village business units and then realise that no, you cannot wait for that.
"It is better if we have some money, then resources and the relevant machinery. Most of our Members of Parliament are also contributing towards the purchasing of fuel so that we continue with the programme of drilling boreholes. We are grateful for being helped. Please push so that we may be given the requisite resources in order to push this programme," he said.
