70 000 households cut off from potable water in MZ, KU

Far from where Tropical Storm Ana has wreaked havoc and left thousands of people grappling for potable water, over 70 000 households in Mzimba and part of Kasungu north are facing a similar problem.

But the unfortunate situation in Mzimba and Kasungu is due to the stalling of a K650 million Champhira South Gravity Water Scheme rehabilitation project.

The project financed by the World Bank, through Malawi Drought Resilient Recovery Project (MDRRP) began in November 2020 and was expected to be completed within six months but one year later works remain uncompleted putting the entire population in Champhira South—which includes major trading areas such as Luwelezi, Emfeni, Kanjuchi, Kanyika, Dendeya and Simlemba in Kasungu North East—with no source of potable water.

In an interview on Friday, the contractor Ralph Phiri explained that government officials inconvenienced his company because of non-payment of the work they did.

Said Phiri: “The project stopped due to a dispute and it wasn’t our fault but the project coordinator who did everything to frustrate our efforts to complete the works. We went to court and the issue is under arbitration.”  

Water Users Association board of trustees chairperson for Champhira South, Speck Chiumia, said the communities are suffering as a result of the incomplete rehabilitation works at the scheme as people have now resorted to using unsafe water  from shallow wells.

He said the association engaged former minister of Forest and Natural Resources Nancy Tembo early last year and were assured of resumption of the works.

“We feel abandoned to have been left in this situation for all this time, because even after we engaged the minister nothing has been done. The sad thing is that an existing intake that was providing some water was demolished.”

Tembo confirmed being approached by the association concerning the stalled work at the site saying government is working on identifying another contractor to finish off the work.

She said: “It is regrettable that people are suffering. I am aware of the issue. Very soon, a new contractor will be at the site.”

Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency executive director Willy Kambwandira said they are following up the matter with keen interest and have since engaged ministry officials and other relevant stakeholders to ensure communities affected by the stalled water project are assisted at the earliest possible time.