No water at Blantyre Market, lives at risk

Thousands of Blantyre City residents are at risk of contracting strange infections for consuming food prepared or purchased from Blantyre Main Market due to lack of potable water.

The market has been without running water for the past three weeks after Blantyre Water Board (BWB) disconnected supply due to an outstanding bill of K1.2 million (US$2 919.7).

Spot checks by The Nation this week have revealed that during the three-week  period, some of the 1 100 people plying their businesses within the market have been drawing polluted and dirty water from the nearby Mudi River for diverse usage.

Other traders, particularly those selling fresh farm produce and operators of food kiosks, have been buying the precious commodity from individual Malawi Police Service (MPC) residences, situated some 200 meters away from the market, at K25 per 20-litre bucket.

But while blaming Blantyre City Council (BCC) for the mess, Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) has warned of catastrophic after-effects due to the council’s negligence.

The development has also contributed to poor sanitation as only one toilet, out of the three that traders as well as buyers use, is functioning. The toilet is currently using the polluted water from Mudi River.

In an interview yesterday, chairperson of Blantyre Market, Black Binya, confirmed the water woes. He said traders were concerned about the development.

Said Binya: “We are living dangerously. Water is life and without water there is no life. For three weeks now, we have had no water and yet this place requires uninterrupted water supply because every time we need to clean what we are selling, particularly foodstuffs.”

He said the council owes BWB an outstanding bill of about K1.2 million.

Cama executive director John Kapito expressed disappointment with the council’s action on the matter and warned the development may result in damaging effects to human lives.

He said after hearing the matter, his office expected an alert from BCC considering the quality of the alternative source of water people were using at the market.

Said Kapito: “The water from Mudi River is quite dangerous and after the disconnection, we expected the council to arrange water bowsers as they waited to sort out the issue.

“I wonder what their [city council] health department is doing because this is a big health hazard and we don’t know what will happen to innocent people who have eaten the food prepared from that water or have bought fresh produce cleaned with that water. It is going to be catastrophic.”

Yesterday, The Nation saw a number of women openly ferrying water in plastic pails from police houses and several boys drawing it from Mudi River to restaurants and chips sellers that operate behind the market.

According to unconfirmed statistics, close to 4 000 people flock to Blantyre Main Market on a daily basis to buy assorted items, particularly fresh farm produce.

But when contacted for comment on whether it was appropriate for civilians to be buying water from police houses, Blantyre Police Station officer Gloria Nkhoma asked for “real evidence” before she could comment.

Efforts to talk to council proved futile as management team was reported to be in Zomba for meetings.