The government has advised the Water Resource Management Agency (WARMA) to come up with a mechanism for harvesting water resulting from floods. CENTRAL Province Permanent Secretary Milner Mwanakampwe says WARMA apart from carrying out its statutory obligation of regulation of water usage must also control the excess water from going To waste.
Mr Mwanakampwe said this during a meeting with the WARMA Board at his office, yesterday.
“ We come from one access where we are crying of floods to another excess where we are crying of no water, that paradox ought to be solved,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary observed that most of the water that comes as a result of floods just goes to Kafue and the ocean when in fact the country needs more of it.
WARMA Vice Board Chairperson Elestina Mwelwa says they are in the province to interact with water users and check on the compliance levels of usage following the expiry of amnesty.
“The Lunsemfwa catchment we are visiting has two major users, the farmers that mean food and the hydropower sector which means energy but we need both without forgetting the local people who also need water for survival,” said Dr Mwelwa.
She disclosed that the water resources assessment conducted last year revealed a number of challenges the water users were facing some of them bordered on illegalities.
The Board Vice Chairperson added that the New Dawn government gave a 90 days amnesty to control the water usage instead.
Meanwhile, District Water and Sanitation Coordinator, Patrick Mweetwa says Ward Development Committees ( WDCs ) are a key structure in any ward’s development.
Mr Mweetwa says for this reason, the sub structures are expected to deliver information on how communities can apply for services such as access to clean water.
Speaking during WDC-Sub district structures-WASH training in Shangombo Town, Mr Mweetwa added that the said structures are supposed to be trained in Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in order to bridge the gap of water scarcity in the district.
After training WDCs and sub district structures, he reasoned , they ( the WDCs ) will further train the community on issues to do with their development.
He said the role of the district is to build capacity to the sub district structures so that in turn they also conduct capacity building trainings at the grass roots.
“Some communities have no idea about CDF, ensure that you help communities to identify projects in their areas. Some communities are used to certain problems such that they don’t see it as a need. So it’s your duty to teach them,” he said.
Mr Mweetwa also added that the community is expected to pay or attach an amount or contribution towards application for a water point in the area.
He said the contribution is meant to be a capital fund towards operation and maintenance.
Its governments aim to increase access to sustainable water supply and proper Sanitation with the aim of improving people’s livelihood.
This is in line with the 2030 vision of achieving 100 percent water supply as well as 90 percent access to proper Sanitation.
The WDC-Sub district structures-WASH training activity is being conducted in all the 12 wards in the district.
