K144 bn to improve sanitation, hygiene
Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation Liana Kakhobwe Chapota has expressed optimism that the $80 million (about K144 billion) World Bank-funded project will help to reduce waterborne-related diseases such as cholera.
In an interview on the sidelines of the inspection of a multi-purpose water harvesting structure construction site in Phalombe yesterday, she noted that the project running in six districts seeks to ensure that communities have access to clean and potable water.
Besides Phalombe, the programmme under the Malawi Resilience and Disaster Risk Management, is also being implemented in Zomba, Thyolo, Ntcheu, Ntchisi and Mzimba districts.
Said Chapota: “The main purpose of this project is to make sure that people have access to clean water. Phalombe is one of the districts experiencing water challenges and this dam will help to reach out to communities with clean water.”
During the visit, Phalombe district commissioner Douglas Moffat noted that pipes that supply water to consumers were small and asked the project engineer Leonard Tsonga to clarify on the matter.
In his response, Tsonga said the project had limited funds against the scope of work.
“However, we have made an arrangement to escalate the same so that our colleagues in the Ministry of Water and Sanitation through the Department of Water Supply can revisit the issue and see how best they can support the communities with regards to small pipes,” he said.
The scope of the work in Phalombe includes construction of a 22-metre (m) wide reinforced concrete dam with a storage capacity of 32 400m3 with an annual yield of 4 770 000m3.
The country has experienced cholera outbreak for the past two years.
