Water supply in E/Province improves
Written by Christopher Miti in Chipata
Saturday, September 12, 2009 2:06:23 AM
EASTERN Water and Sewerage Company (EWSC) has said water supply in the province has started improving although the company is still facing a number of challenges.
And EWSC has said it will use the 6.3 million euros funding to improve water situation in the province.
EWSC public relations manager Mike Daka said most houses that had no water had been connected in most parts of the province.
“The water situation in the province is starting to improve although it’s a very big challenge. Chadiza so far has improved, most of the houses which were not receiving water have started, we are yet to improve again. Right now we have engaged water affairs to clean up the boreholes in Chama. I think that exercise will take about five to six days, then that will actually improve on the water situation,” Daka said.
He said EWSC was also cleaning up the water system in Katete district to ensure that water provision improved.
Daka further said the water situation in Mambwe district was good but that EWSC would now embark on the expansion of the water network systems.
And Daka said the 6.3 million euros that the government had mobilised through financial corporation with the Federal Republic of Germany would be used to improve the water networks.
“..We will be doing it in phases, the funding has come for phase one for four districts which is Chama, Lundazi, Petauke and Mambwe. The actual funding has not yet been made. We are yet to receive the funding either this month or beginning of next month but we are at tendering stage. So far, we have even got consultants who have come from Germany,” he said.
Daka also said the water company still faced problems because some customers, including government departments, were not settling bills as expected.
Recently, EWSC revealed that government institutions owed the company K2.6 billion in unpaid water bills.
According to the EWSC report to the Provincial Development Coordinating Committee meeting held at Luangwa House recently, as at July 30, 2009, the outstanding amount due was K2, 629,297,461.95.
The report indicated that some institutions had not paid water bills from as far back as August 2004, citing lack of funds and poor service delivery by the company.
Labels: EASTERN PROVINCE, EASTERN WATER AND SEWAGE COMPANY, MIKE DAKA
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Power outages force EWSC to start rationing water
Written by Christopher Miti in Chipata
Thursday, June 04, 2009 11:32:36 PM
THE Eastern Water and Sewerage Company (EWSC) has said it will start rationing water in light of the persistent water shortages that have been caused by frequent power outages.
And Eastern Province has been badly affected by the prolonged load shedding being effected by Zesco Limited owing to reduced generation capacity at Kafue Gorge due to a blockage of water intakes at the power station by the Kafue weed.
EWSC public relations manager Mike Daka said the company used its two pumps to pump water whenever there was power to try and address the water problem.
Daka said there were some areas in Chipata that were not receiving water even when others on the lower places had the commodity.
He said the company had made an arrangement with Chipata Municipal Council and was also looking to other stakeholders that could help in distributing the water in areas that did not receive the commodity even when there was electricity.
“There are some upper places like Kalongwezi, Chimwemwe, Kanjala and Chipata Motel areas where people are not having supply even if power comes because they only have water when levels in our tank are high so when it’s just the minimum water levels that we have, the upper places because of their location, they can’t have supply so we will try to see how we can regulate our valve and see whether we can direct to those upper places that are not receiving anything at all,” said Daka.
Many Chipata residents wake up in the early hours to fetch water in distant places.
And almost all the districts in the province have been affected by the power outages.
The districts that are badly hit include Chipata, Katete, Petauke, Nyimba, Chadiza and Mambwe.
Former Nyimba district council chairman George Phiri said it was sad that Zesco did not inform people in advance about the power outages.
“We rarely have power in Nyimba, sometimes we can have power around 03 hours but it goes after an hour or so. As I’m talking to you now there is no power here,” said Phiri.
Lundazi and Chama are the only districts that have reliable power supply because they are fed by Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM).
Labels: EASTERN WATER AND SEWAGE COMPANY, MIKE DAKA
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Musosha cautions utility company against politics
Written by Christopher Miti in Chipata
Tuesday, February 03, 2009 8:58:40 AM
LOCAL government and housing deputy minister Chrispin Musosha has said Eastern Water and Sewerage Company (EWSC) board members would do a lot of injustice if they bring politics in the new board.
Inaugurating the new EWSC board at Luangwa House in Chipata on Sunday, Musosha said it was unfortunate that certain times the water utilities were being politicized although time for politics was gone.
Among the new board members are Victor Zulu board chairman who is an agricultural officer in Chadiza district, Martha Mulenga, vice-chairperson who is also Eastern Province MMD chairlady, Osman Moosa, board member who is also Nyika MMD ward councilor in Petauke. Other board members are; Josephine Chirwa, Derrick Sikazwe, Alex Bwalya, Alibania Siwalyondo, Alex Harawa, Nelia Tembo and Benjamin Kawengele.
"The time for politics was the time when we were campaigning for presidency for parliament and for local government seats. This time around is for service provision, people out there are so expectant for many things. They are so expectant to see us do many things that we promised during the campaign and therefore those that may want to create unconduicive environment for service delivery or against service delivery, it’s unfortunate and we are not going to allow that." said Musosha.
Musosha urged the board members to ensure that they did what the people were expecting from them.
He said the company must collect all the revenues that were due and use the available resources in a prudent manner to ensure value for the services provided were appreciated by the general public.
Musosha said he was committed to ensuring that government departments settled their bills in full and timely.
He said members of the board should not become a liability to the company by making demands that could not be met by the company.
Musosha said the members of the board had been drawn from different institutions and organisations to provide broad representation to carter for all stakeholders and also to ensure a cross-breed of ideas.
Eastern Province permanent secretary Eularia Siyamujaye urged the new board to work hand-in-hand with the provincial administration.
Chipata mayor Sinoya Mwale said the new board should work extremely hard to further improve the water situation.
Mwale said it was gratifying to note that people were receiving adequate water and that complaints of water shortage were a thing of the past.
Labels: CHRISPINE MUSOSHA, EASTERN WATER AND SEWAGE COMPANY
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