Mzimba people hail water schemes rehab project
People in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mabulabo in Mzimba District have commended the Ministry of Water and Sanitation for rehabilitating Champhira and Msaka water schemes in the area.
Speaking on Saturday when Minister of Water and Sanitation Abida Mia inspected the schemes, Olive Chirwa, a mother from Msaka Village, said women previously used to travel long distances to fetch water.
“We will also be able to do other activities because we will not spend much time looking for water,” she said.
Champhira Water Users board chairperson Specks Chiumia said the scheme will help in ending waterborne diseases in the area that were emanating from drinking water from streams.
“We are happy that the projects have completed and people have already started drinking clean water. As water users association, we will ensure that the projects are sustained and that people do not vandalise materials,” she said.
On her part, Mia said the completion of the schemes reflects government’s commitment to provide clean water to all citizens by 2030.
“We are happy with the completion of the two schemes because it means people will have access to potable water,” she said.
Mia said the World Bank, which financed the project, has also provided funding for training water users associations around the schemes.
Champhira gravity water and the Msaka solar-powered water scheme projects were implemented with a K2 billion funding from the World Bank under the Malawi Resilient and Disaster Risk Management Project.
The schemes will supply water to 140 000 people in T/A Mabulabo and part of Kasungu North.
Umodzi Wamatipa Contractors rehabilitated the two schemes which involved construction of treatment plants, tanks, distribution pipelines, 1 200 water points, drilled solar-powered boreholes and offices for each of the water users associations.
