Karonga District Council has constructed an K111 million box culvert along the Kambwe-Silu Road to reconnect communities that were cut off after floods destroyed a bridge in the area.
The project, implemented under the Regional Climate Resilience Project (RCRP) and funded by the World Bank, has reconnected residents who were struggling to access markets, schools and health facilities on the other side.
Group village head Fundamaso Mwanyongo said the facility has brought relief to communities that were previously forced to use longer and costly alternative routes, especially during the rainy season.
“For long, people struggled to cross the river, especially during the rainy season. A majority of people in this area are rice farmers and they were failing to access markets after the bridge was destroyed,” aid Mwanyongo.
The chief said the damaged section also affected access to health services, with some residents failing to reach Karonga District Hospital in time due to long distances and high transport costs.
Karonga District Council acting director of public works George Chanya said the council prioritised the construction of the culvert to provide a durable solution to infrastructure damage by floods.
He said: “We decided to construct this culvert after noting that floods had severely affected this section of the road, cutting off communities and disrupting socio-economic activities.
“This intervention seeks to provide a durable solution that can withstand harsh weather conditions.”
Karonga RCRP district engineer Innocent Ngoma said the project is part of broader efforts to strengthen infrastructure and enhance community resilience to climate change.
He said: “The project seeks to support communities to adapt to the impacts of climate change by investing in resilient infrastructure.
