The Lusaka City Council (LCC) says it will soon embark on a programme to divert water from streams around the city for the irrigation of plants on islands in the Central Business District ( CBD ).
Lusaka Mayor Daniel Chisenga says this is because most plants in many islands in CBDs were drying up.
Mr. Chisenga explained that the drying up of the plants is due to lack of water for irrigation, saying the situation has impacted negatively on the concept of Lusaka being a garden city.
ZANIS reports that the Mayor said this in an interview in Lusaka today.
The Islands in question are those that separate high ways and main roads such as Cairo and Great East roads.
He said the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) currently has challenges with supplying enough clean safe drinking water to most residents in the city.
Mr. Chisenga added that it would be unfair to expect them to divert some of that water to the irrigation of plants in the CBD.
The Mayor explained that it is for this reason that the LCC came up with the initiative to use water in streams such as Ngwelele in garden compound for irrigation.
He stated that despite the water in these streams not being safe for human consumption, it is still safe for the irrigation of plants.
Mr. Chisenga noted that the city has enough streams to provide enough water for irrigation, saying there is no reason why the plants should be left to dry.
He noted that once the irrigation programme is in place, it will go a long way in improving the face of the city, and help in retaining the garden city concept on which Lusaka was built.
ZANIS
Easy said that done, I don’t understand why Zambians talk a lot. Why even announce to the public?? Just do it we see the results. What matters is the results not your talking.
You are right I don’t think we need warning that our city will be kept clean. It’s overdue!
We are just a country of mostly lazy, dirty people who love talking politics a lot at the expense of development.
How can we fail to provide clean drinking water, 50yrs after independence?
Look at the copperbelt, during the time of ZCCM, there was water in homes 24/7 and it was free to all employees. Today there is hardly a drop in homes since this now paid for water service was handed to various useless “Water & Sewerage Companies” dotted around the province. Sadly as Zambians we have come to accept this as normal… seriously??
We accept mediocrity and whatever stup1dity govt throws at us… why?
40% of the total water in the SADCC region is found in Zambia yet we don’t have any in our home. Docility & laziness is killing our country.
There is no shortage of money to do…
They talk alot because they can not do anything…. thats the only thing they know
That is very unrealistic. Diverting
streams into a poorly planned
overpopulated tiny CBD of lsk.
Even japan cant waste money on such a
project.
Beautifying what?? lusaka!!!!…hahahahahahaha,,, you must depopulate lusaka first… before thinking of anything… a big portion of lusaka is shanty,,,and how do you beautify a city that has lost its structure?,,,anybody in lusaka can construct any kind of house/building anywhere,, no building specifications or rules.. nothing!!!! ,,.. anyway good lucky,, mr mayor!!!
Lets embark on massive clean up and regular maintenance up of the city.That should be priority one and then beautifying can come later.
For as long as street vending and litter is allowed, the Lusaka will never be beautiful. Yes, start and then announce. Too many announcements with no action.
Absolutely – uncontrolled street vending is a REALLY BIG part of the problem!
Congestion, rubbish, lack of security, lack of sanitation, inferior products, more rubbish, more lack of sanitation, more congestion!
Is this really enough to count as a “massive” beautifying campaign? So much of the rest of the city is an eyesore!!!
Btw – If LCC is really concerned about “beautifying” central islands, why did they put all the advertising boards on Addis Ababa? These are not only ugly but a serious danger to traffic because you can’t see oncoming vehicles when turning!
Garden city? Try death trap city!
Instead of just condemning, learn to appreciate progressive ideas.
appreciate progressive what??… your mayor is failing to keep up with cleaning lusaka and collecting that ever present gabage in the city ,,, first step of beautify is a failing,,,even if you are mentally blind sure…. what progressive ideas????
@6.1, Progressive? To hoodwink people into thinking LCC is doing something MASSIVE to beautify the city by “diverting rivers” to so they can water the central islands of ONE STREET ONLY… when private business have already been doing a pretty good job of keeping up the gardens on Cairo Road… or when they ignore all the other water supply, rubbish, drainage, and sanitation problems Lusaka faces? Just wait for the rains… soon all the streets will be flooded.
Woo-hoo such progress!
I suppose in your view it would be positively REVOLUTIONARY for a “garden city” to have rubbish bins, let alone one or two clean and well kept city parks?
And of course never mind Addis Abbaba that LCC has turned into a danger and eyesore!
This should be commmended….I am also happy to see the watering that is going on around state house. In the past that place was terribly neglected
Commend them for telling us lies? You are so thick in the head if you believe for one minute that this diverting of stream water is going to happen. LCC is broke! Only a few weeks ago, they reported putting off plans to celebrate the city’s centurion. Besides, I can’t even think of a stream near Lusaka, never mind one that is lively enough to share its water with another diverted route.
Oh, yes – the lush gardens at State House are major developmental achievement (never mind most everyone else lives without clean water or sanitation). And to think, it only took a Presidential tantrum to make happen!
How is that for commending?
just buy water bowsers
I have said it before and wish to say it again. Recruit ALL the kaponyas in the City and arm then with ‘Picks & Shovels’. Let then start digging a canal from the Kafue river (or Zambezi) into all the major cities in Zambia and then you could do what the Mayor is saying.
You could also utilise these ‘water-ways’ for transporting goods and indeed pipo. You could bring in large Badges/boats to carry cargo/people thereby creating employment to millions of those vulnerable kids roaming the streets of Kitwe, Ndola and Lusaka. Thats how the Suez canal started and today, cargo from far flung places could be arriving at the Ports of Lusaka (and NOT Walvis Bay anymore….
Engineering concerns: in nature, everything flows from high potential to low potential. Has this diversion considered the elevation profile of Lusaka? Anything not exploiting the natural contours will be a cost (flow under mechanical intervention). It would be nice to have a Zambian city with a river flowing through, adds beauty. Look at Paris, London, Stockholm, Prague etc. If the mayor has such grand plans, why not have a city plan for Kafue town. That is good work for the Town and Country Planners.
Massive beautifying or simply irrigation. LT, so misleading.
This has been talked about for decades now. It’s called the Lusaka master plan. This is why certain circles say Chimbwi no plan because these things are not rocket science. Pay someone who nows how to maintain plants and ask them to plant lots of them chapwa. No plants no pay. Interesting how these projects are being hijacked as presented along party line. Not so long back LT published this article:
“http://www.lusakatimes.com/2010/06/09/government-unveils-big-plans-infrastructure-development/”
Firstly, where are these perennial streams in Lusaka that have extra capacity to have their waters diverted? This is not just an engineering project but also one that involves ecologists and environmentalists. Divert the waters and and be prepared for the impact on the ecosystems down stream. Has LCC factored in their plans the effects of evapotranspiration? This may just end up drying up your source down stream and achieve little of the intended goal due to evapotranspiration on the new diverted course. Study the on going dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over Ethiopia’s plan to divert waters from the Blue Nile river vis-a-vis effects of diverting a river course.
At least its a start…and LCC should be supported and assisted in this venture!!
Iam reverent supporter of anything as progressive as the suggestion by the Mayor but where we quickly part ways is what to start with.
In its present state Lusaka is dirty and other think of beautifying the City lets clean it first and foremost. Cleaning the City will, in my humble view, not gulp as much resources as the irrigation that is envisioned. Once clean then the Council can think of how to create a lush and plush environment. Anything short of that will be akin to a lady that adds powder to a face full of sweat.
@Mutu Ukakula : Sulewa nkhonyo… Nice one!
it is an engineering impossibilty,running irrigation pipes from the stream to cbd.this mayoer is out of his mind.it will take a generation to stop men from urinating on the street if we start the program now maybe we can use that stream to keep the grass green?
The council needs to buy or ask for a donation from China of 50 refuse trucks, create at least five new dumping sites and employ people 24/7 to clean up the city. At the same time work with the ministry concerned to start a massive campaign to educate people about the importance ofkeping our sorroundings clean. Children are going to skool but are not educatied. After cleaning up and educating them then tough laws hould be put in place to punish offenders then we can start watering the plants. Residents and businesses can pay. A small levy for refuse collection.
shame, shame indeed, the whole lot of a mayor telling the nation that he will start watering plants in the city. He doesn’t know that that is his job to make sure cities are clean and well maintained. Loook at the dirt in Lusaka, the mushrooming compounds, unregulated vendors, no public toilets, no sign posts,,,who duty is it to make sure that services are available, if not the mayor’s office and the council?
Diverting streams? Have these people been to school? Do they know what this can do to the environment? Have mercy! How do other cities of the world achieve this? Isukulu!
What am i getting from this article? The LCC hasnt been doing their job. The LCC are suppose to constantly beautiful the city. Sounds like this man whats some attention here.
Has an ENVIROMENT IMPACT ASSESSMENT been done??? It is not as simple as that!!! Ala uku buta tuleke!!!
aba bwata bwata kaba kwata kwata.stop yupping your mouth ba mayor, some of these statements should be made when work is happening, these statements need to be….”what we have done here is……….”. for now you just yupping your mouth in a ‘must say something situation’…we are not blind.
and ba mayor, how do you light candles in a room full of dirt? clothes everywhere, trash cans full, books on the floor, roaches playing hide and seek? think sometimes, clean the room before setting up the candles, that way you dont exhaust the flames. some minds awe sure, even pali common sense you have to explain. cry our beloved leaders. *sigh*
I don’t see how that will happen with the PF having allowed street vending.
Street vendors.
They make any place look ugly.
Only Sata and Masebo did there best in trying to beautify Lusaka.Alas, they were opposed that’s why todate Lusaka looks ugly. Street vending is now being conducted right on the doors of shops in the CBD.
Surely wat is more costly than drilling boreholes in respective areas fr the same purpose. Is it the same mentality as of naming stadias pregnant names?