Karonga water project at 90% completion

The Karonga Water Supply Project has made headway after engineers completed laying the water pipeline from Lake Malawi to the shore.

When completed, the $26.7 million (about K44 billion) project being implemented by the Northern Region Water Board (NRWB) is expected to boost the capacity of potable water supplies in Karonga Town and surrounding areas.

A statement posted on NRWB Facebook page says the works began on Monday.

The work involved joining pipes and floating them on the lake.

Reads the statement in part: “The new pipeline will be able to abstract 1.3 million litres of water per hour for treatment at the new treatment plant. The current plant could only produce a maximum of 12 million litres per day.”

By 2035, an estimated 184 000 residents are expected to benefit from the project which is financed by Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, Opec Fund for International Development and the Malawi Government.

NRWB board chairperson Frank Mwenifumbo said the most significant part of the project, which has lasted about two and a half years, was the laying of the pipeline to the deepest point of the lake.

“It is a modern semi-automated system which will supply water to most parts of the rural population in the lakeshore district,” he said.

NRWB chief executive officer Francis Munthali said the work was successfully completed by Tuesday morning.

He said: “We are at 90 percent completion rate.

“We have also commenced works on the Rumphi Town Water Supply Project. We are recruiting a consultant for designs and supervision.”