Chembe Constituency gets piped water
THE first ever water reticulation project in Chembe district has been launched supplying water to about 5000 residents, Chembe Constituency Member of Parliament Sebastian Kopulande has said.
Dr Kopulande said the residents of Chembe district had not had piped water from time in memorial, and that they had been using water from the river, shallow wells and boreholes.
In an interview with the Daily Nation, Dr Kopulande said that water reticulation project was priority for his Constituency and that what they had done so far was a drop in the ocean.
Dr Kopulande said it was sad that Chembe was in an area that had one of the largest rivers in Zambia the Luapula river, but people did not have access to clean and safe water.
He said his desire was to see a proper water treatment plant getting water from the river and supplying it to the people in the District. “From time in memorial, there has never been piped water in Chembe district and with the help of government we embarked on the project two years ago at a cost of about K1.4 million.
“We have put a small plant and it is piping the water up to the central storage tanks and people are able to access the water from the kiosks,” he said.
Dr Kopulande said that access to clean and safe water to the residence of Chembe District would reduce communicable diseases and help them avoid walking long distances in such of water among others. 29 farmer households of Lukaleshi village in Shiwang’andu district of Muchinga Province have been empowered with an irrigation facility worth K275, 000.00 to stimulate their agricultural enterprises.
Speaking at a handing over event of a Permanent Weir and a 518 metres Irrigation Canal to the community, Muchinga Provincial Agricultural Coordinator, Dr Victor Mulopa, commended the Lukaleshi community for completing the irrigation project within a record scheduled period of five months from October 2019 to March 2020 adding that the timely completion of the project is a landmark achievement for the Lukaleshi community.
Dr Mulopa explained that the community’s commitment and contribution towards the total cost of the project through the provision of labour, sand and stones inspires confidence and motivates stakeholders to support any other future undertakings.
Speaking earlier, Lukaleshi Village Headman, Godfrey Musonda, described the handing over of the irrigation facility as a dawn of wealth creation in the community.
Headman Musonda added that the tapping of water from the perennial Ilomfi Stream to the community homesteads will kick-start and enhance
vegetable, fruit, fish and small- livestock production in the area adding that such a diversity of enterprises will increase and improve household incomes and nutritional food security.
And speaking earlier, Muchinga Province Acting Senior Irrigation Engineer, Nelson Phiri, revealed that the completed irrigation project was a result of a successful partnership among stakeholders that include: The Zambian government (GRZ), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the farmers of Lukaleshi village.
Mr Phiri explained that JICA assisted with the construction-designs of the irrigation facility while IFAD, through the Smallholder Productivity Promotion Project (S3P), provided seventy five percentage (75%) of funds used for the construction.
He added that the remaining 25% percentage cost of construction was provided by the beneficiary farmers of Lukaleshi village.
Mr Phiri further disclosed that the Zambian government, through the Ministry of Agriculture under the Technical Services (TSB) and Advisory Services Branches were responsible of supervising the construction of the Lukaleshi Irrigation Project.
Due to the COVID-19 health guidelines and preventive measures, the handing over event was attended and witnessed by one representative from each of the 29 beneficiary households and few members of staff from the Ministry of Agriculture from Shiwang’andu District and provincial office.- NAIS
SHODDY works which were done by AVIC International on Lumumba Road are evidence that foreign contractors should not be given preferential treatment, National Association for Medium and Small Scale Contractors (NAMSSC) have said.
NAMSSC president, Mutale Mpepo, said it was sad that Zambians had a negative attitude towards the local contractors thereby hampering the growth of the country’s construction sector.
Mr Mpepo said it was disappointing that
WORKS on the US$200 million Improved Rural Connectivity Project (IRCP) have commenced in Central province with a call on the contractor to deliver quality work.
The World Bank-funded project was launched in Mkushi last year to rehabilitate about 4, 000 kilometres of feeder roads in Central, Muchinga, Eastern, Northern, Luapula and Southern provinces.
Central provincial minister, Sydney Mushanga, said in an interview in Kabwe that the contractor had moved on site to work on most of the critical feeder roads which were identified for upgrading.
Mr Mushanga said there had been a cry for rehabilitation of feeder roads, hence the move to commerce the works aimed construction stakeholders had decided to remain silent on shoddy works done on Lumumba and Mungwi roads in Lusaka.
“Lumumba, Mungwi and part of the Great North roads are being redone because of shoddy works by the Chinese Contractor. Suppose it was a Zambian who undertook the works, there could have been a lot of talk,” Mr Mpepo said. The travelling public, he noted, was being inconvenienced because of the shoddy works by the foreign contractors. He said shoddy works by AVIC was evident that even foreign contractors were bound to fumble, therefore they should not be given preferential treatment.
Mr Mpepo said the trend had also
reducing developmental inequalities and creating employment.
He said works on the critical feeder roads had already commenced in Chibombo district and would e extended to other areas.
“This is the project that was launched by his Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Edgar Chagwa Lungu launched last year,” Mr Mushanga said.
The Minister said once completed, the roads would improve access to market, thereby increasing income at household level food security in the province and the country at large.
Mr. Mushanga has since urged the contractor to ensure delivery of quality works and also urged the locals to offer support.
“So I want to appeal to the contractors to do the right thing. We don’t want a situation whereby this year or this time around we spend money on the construction of roads. Just after a few months we start spending money again on the same roads,” Mr Mushanga cautioned.
The World-Bank-funded project was expected to create 25 000 jobs in Central, Muchinga, Eastern, Northern, Luapula, and Southern provinces. affected economic growth because a lot of money was going outside the country, leaving the local currency vulnerable.
He said local contractors had the capacity and necessary expertise to undertake big contracts, hence Government should fully support local contractors.
AVIC International, a Chinese firm did shoddy works on some roads and we have instructed the contractor to re-do the works,
Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure Permanent Secretary, Charles Mushota, said Government had identified some roads which were poorly done by AVIC International and works needed to be re- done.