SRWB set to improve water access in Ntaja

Southern Region Water Board (SRWB) says it is striving to improve potable access to potable water in Ntaja Township in Machinga District.

The pledge follows a request from Ntaja Water Users Association (WUA) to the board to take over its services to supply water in the area.

Speaking on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ meeting held at Ntaja WUA office, SRWB director of operations Engineer Tisunge Kapalamula said it was an honour for the board to be given such an opportunity as the township was declared to be under its jurisdiction in 2018.

“Ntaja is one of the booming towns in Machinga, as such, the board is required to supply water because it makes business sense,” he said.

Kapalamula said the board will start supplying water to the town on September 1 this year after finalising the maintenance of pipes and facilities.

Speaking on behalf of Ntaja WUA, Moses Joshua said they were failing to meet people’s demand for water which led to the scarcity of the commodity in the town since January this year.

Machinga District Council chairperson Richard Matenje commended SRWB for coming in, saying people of Ntaja were struggling to access potable water.

Ntaja WUA was formed in 2003 with funding from Australian Government and has been supplying water to a radius of 2.5 kilometres.