GEORGE COMPOUND RESIDENTS DEFY GOVT
DESPITE recording 14 new cholera cases this week, some defiant residents in Lusaka’s George Compound have continued using shallow wells as a source of water for consumption.
This is in defiance of the Ministry of Health directive to stop consuming water from the wells as most of it was contaminated.
Earlier this week, Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya declared the compound a new epicenter of the epidemic and wondered why some people in the compound had continued drawing water from shallow wells.
But the residents have bemoaned lack of water supply as the cause for them resorting to the use of shallow wells for their consumption.
One of the residents, John Mwanza claimed that the township had erratic water supply.
“There is no water in our compound because the water points we have no running water so what do you expect us to do when we need water to survive,” he said Another resident Annie Ng’oma said that she had no option but to go back and draw water from the shallow well because the commodity was scarce in the compound.
“We need water for our daily needs these people are not thinking of us nor our wellbeing how do we survive surely?
“They said they will provide water for us but to no avail, I will use what is available for me and my family,” she charged.
Meanwhile, Lima ward 12 councilor Francis Bwalya said the residents where agitated due to sluggishness by Lusaka Water And Sewerage Company to supply water to the compound.
“Yes I know about the prob- lem and I have on several occasions tried to engage LWSC but to no avail, and when they did open their water supply line it was at night which was not safe for the women as you know this place is high in crime,” he said.