Friday, March 29, 2024

Zambia and Malawi commissions water project

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Zambia and Malawi have launched a K15 million project for the
construction of the water and sanitation schemes for border posts of
Chanida, Mwami and Mchinji.

The project was funded by the Department for International Development
(DFID), Climate Resilient Infrastructure Development Facility (CRIDF)
on three borders of which two are on the Zambian side while one was on
the Malawian side.
Eastern Province Minister Makebi Zulu said during the launch of water
and sanitation schemes held at Mwami Border in Chipata  that
the availability of water and good sanitation today were human rights.
The Minister said through acting Permanent Secretary Patrick Mwanawasa
that his Government would endevoure to provide the services through
commercial utilities like Eastern Water and Sewerage Company (EWSC).
He said the company together with Central Regional Water Board (CRWB)
through CRIDF and the British Government have worked on the
commencement works of the water reticulations at the border towns.
Mr Zulu said the project involves the construction of a water supply
system and an ablution block at Mwami and Mchinji as well as the
rehabilitation of the existing ablution block at Chanida border.
“This project is targeting the border areas taking into consideration
the travelling public and also the residents. Over 6,000 travellers and 1,500 households are expected to benefit from this project,” he said.
He said the water reticulation for the three border areas would
promote good health and bring dignity to the residents and travelling
public.
With the present situation in the three border areas, the minister
said residents and travelling public especially truck drivers who were
marooned for days at the borders would get good drinking water and
sanitary services.
Mr Zulu said he was aware that lack of good sanitation obstructs the
right to life and health.
He commended the chiefs for giving permission to EWSC and CRWB to put
up the facilities in the border areas.
He appealed to the travelling public and the residents to protect the
facilities which would contribute to good sanitation and lead to a
reduction of water borne disease in the three border areas.
Speaking earlier, Malawian Principal Secretary in the ministry of
Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Erica Maganga said the
the scope of the project on the Malawian side shall include drilling
and equipping of three boreholes, laying of transmission and
distribution pipeline network and construction of a water tank, an
ablution block and two communal water points.

Mrs Maganga said this would serve cross-border travellers, the local community as well as
the general public at the border town with sanitary and health facilities.
“Individuals that can afford individual household water connections
shall also be served. It is believed that, with the installation of
the water supply system here, this border  will quickly transform
because other investors are likely come in with different services,”she said.
Mrs Maganga said development of such social amenities in towns and
market centres was integral to socio-economic development of the
concerned towns.

And EWSC Managing Director Lytone Kanowa said he was happy that the
project was taking off.
African Brothers Limited, a Chinese contractor is engaged to carryout
the project for the 112 days.

9 COMMENTS

  1. …has been implemented or constructed.

    So this title is misleading! The project was just launched and not commissioned!

  2. Projects are good as they create jobs but we need to keep an eye on the involved people otherwise e-eee there will be another small gate in a stylish manner by any interested party if so they desire.

  3. Oooo.. yeah quite a disappointing thing indeed! All along we HAVE FAILED TO BUILD OUR OWN CAPACITY to carry out some of these projects to a POINT WHERE everything construction is being done by CHINESE!! May be out of “guilty feeling” or “appreciation” for how much the Chinese have benefited from our lack of organization and poor work culture the Chinese in this contract called his company “African Brothers” – Brothers indeed?? “African Brothers Limited, a Chinese contractor is engaged to carryout the project for the 112 days.”

  4. This gesture by the British Government is highly commendable. We need to learn doing business like the Chinese do. They deliver on the promise on time as requested. In future Zambia and Malawi should learn to give priority to funding important projects like this one.

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