Zambia: Vandalism ‘Drowning’ Nkana Water Project

VANDALISM is impacting negatively on the US$63 million (K315 billion) water and sanitation improvement project by Nkana Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC).

The K315 billion project was financed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) who staked 90 per cent of the fund with the Zambian Government contributing 10 per cent towards the programme.

The objective of the project was to improve access to water and sanitation to urban population and the peri-urban areas of Kitwe, Kalulushi and Chambishi towns.

Under the project is the rehabilitation of Kitwe’s main water treatment plant, construction of new water intake on Mwambashi stream and expansion of the water treatment plant in Chambishi.

A media team that on Wednesday toured the project, found that in Buchi-Kamitondo area, 270 households individual lavatories were being constructed under the sanitation component.

At the sanitation component for the Kitwe project it was discovered that some of the newly installed service lines mostly water taps and meters were being vandalised.

NWSC community mobilsation and social specialist Mwangala Chiwala said vandalism was a major setback on the project.

Newly installed water and service line infrastructure had been vandalised.

Ms Chiwala said vandalising of the infrastructure was a drawback not only to the company but also to Government’s effort of trying to improve the general wellbeing of the citizens.

“Our plea to residents is for them to exercise responsibility by giving support to the water and sanitation project because it is aimed at improving the welfare of the general citizenry,” she said.

She was however, happy with progress made in the implementation of the project both in Kitwe and Kalulushi where the contractor building a new raw water intake at Mwambishi has completed 37 per cent of the works.

“As you can see works are on schedule and in some instance ahead of schedule and really it is good for the residents to support this exercise so that the money Government is spending on this project is not seen to go to waste but benefit the communities,” she said.