National News

MHC says working on Area 18 broken sewers

 

The Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) has said it is working to rectify  the Area 18 broken sewers that led to residents drinking contaminated water recently.

The corporation was responding to Lilongwe Water Board (LWB)’s claim that the corporation took a lax attitude on matters of concern.

In an interview yesterday, MHC spokesperson Ernestina Lunguzi said the corporation has been working on the problem of blocked sewer lines not only in Lilongwe but also across the country.

Residents present a petition to LCC over Area 18 water saga

On March 1 this year, LWB issued a strong letter to MHC, expressing its concern over the recurrent blockage of sewer lines that recently occurred in Area 18A.

The letter, signed by LWB chief executive officer Alfonso Chikuni, which The Nation has seen, is referenced DTS 04 and copied to Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Lilongwe City Council (LCC) and LWB chairperson.

On Friday last week, Nation Online quoted Chikuni as saying the board is stressed out with the Area 18 water contamination saga and the recent recurrent blockage of sewer system; hence, the decision to write MHC.

Although Lunguzi claimed her organisation has not yet seen the letter, she said in a telephone interview that MHC has been working with LCC to rectify problems of sewer line blockages within their estates.

“Let me indicate here that sewer spillage does not contaminate water unless there is an opening in the water pipe. But as a corporation, we have been responding and we will continue to respond swiftly on any reports of blockage and any other emergencies within our estates,” she said.

According to findings of the National Task force on Area 18 water saga, released last week, MHC, being the landlord, did not want to take any responsibility to rectify the problem of sewer line blockage until it was compelled by the Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change to repair it within four days.

Meanwhile, MHC has embarked on sewage clearance and manhole maintenance exercises in Lilongwe and Blantyre.

Lunguzi argued that MHC did not begin the exercises because it was compelled by the parliamentary committee but because it is within its mandate to empty manholes and repair the sewer line systems within its estates.

She said: “We have done this not only in Area 18, but also in townships such Naperi, Chiwembe and Zingwangwa in Blantyre.”

The National Taskforce Committee made general recommendations that MHC, LWB and LCC should work together to find a lasting solution to sewer and water systems to avoid recurrence of the incident in Area 18 and other parts of the city.

Related Articles

Back to top button