Maputo — Chimoio (Mozambique), 17 May (AIM) - The government of the central Mozambican province of Manica intends to open 71 new water sources and rehabilitate 100 existing sources, before the end of this year, to improve the supply of clean drinking water, particularly in rural areas.

Over the same period six water supply systems will be completed in the district capitals of Gondola, Vanduzi, Barue, Manica Town and Guro.

Announcing this on Thursday, at a session of the Manica Provincial Assembly, the provincial governor, Manuel Rodrigues, said that, with the opening of the new wells and boreholes, and the improvements to water systems, the rate of water supply coverage will rise by about 7.5 per cent (from 608,700 consumers in the province to 703,119 by the end of the year).

Rodrigues said there will also be 1,500 new domestic connections to water systems in the Manica urban areas. "In the towns and cities where we already have water, there will be new connections to neighbourhoods where the public does not yet have access to this precious liquid", he promised. "We want more people to have water. This is an initiative which we believe will improve the health of the population. Many of the problems we have in the communities are caused by drinking unclean water".

Rodrigues did not say how much these improvements to the Manica water supply will cost, but he guaranteed that the conditions now exist to provide more water to the public, with the support of the province's partners.

"We are counting on support from some partners who work with us in this area", the governor said. "The results are encouraging. As you can see, in some areas where there used to be no water, the public now have water sources, and people have ceased to walk for long distances in search of water".