Lawyers demand compensation for Area 18 households

Some concerned lawyers have asked Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) and Lilongwe City Council (LCC) to give K2 million compensation to each of the Area 18 households affected by the sewage polluted water within seven days or face legal action.

Lawyers’ Forum for Human Rights executive director Chancy Mwalubunju said the affected residents need to be compensated for damages after what he described as inhumane and degrading water contamination in the capital city’s township.

“We haven’t yet agreed with the affected residents as to the amount of money they should get as compensation but from our legal point of view, each household should get around K2 million for the damages,” he said.

Meanwhile, the forum has spelt out four measures for LWB and LCC to comply with within the seven days.

Among others, the lawyers want LWB and LCC to immediately provide relief potable water to the 263 residents, permanently rectify the water contamination situation, immediately conduct a wide investigative audit of the whole LCC water and sewer areas and rehabilitate all broken sewer pipes.

“The two bodies, LWB and LCC, have been quiet on the compensation and they have been doing business as usual as if nothing happened; so within the next seven days, we want to see them do something towards the compensation process,” Mwalubunju said.

When asked for a comment, LWB chief executive officer Alfonso Chikuni said his office was yet to receive communication from the lawyers.

Most Area 18 residents have since resorted to bottled water, saying water from LWB pipes is still not safe for consumption.

Earlier this month, the affected residents presented a petition to government in which they asked for compensation. n