‘Use CDF to end water crisis’
THE
K1.6 million 2018 Constituency Development Fund (CDF) just released by Government to Siavonga should be used to address the perpetual water crisis in Mitchell and Game compounds in the district. The residents of the two compounds yesterday called on the local authority to use the CDF to end the water shortages in the two areas.
The residents in Mitchell compound appealed to the district council and Zesco which owns the housing units in the area, to quickly address the sanitation problems before heavy rains started.
The residents said lack of reliable water supply coupled with broken down sewer pipes, put the people in the area at high risk of cholera and other water-borne diseases.
Siavonga is experiencing acute water shortages due to the aging water system coupled with the ever growing population in the tourist town which has outstripped water supply.
The residents said the K1.6 million should be given to Kariba ward which consists of all urban parts of the district, for replacement of the aging water infrastructure to improve the water situation in the area.
Ms Abigail Tembo, who spoke on behalf of the other residents, said it was surprising that despite Siavonga being home to one of the biggest fresh water reservoirs in the world, residents in the area had continued going without clean piped water on daily basis.
She said failure by the water utility company to invest part of its profits in improving water infrastructure in the district had led to the current situation where the company is not able to meet people’s water expectations.
Meanwhile, some residents called on the Siavonga District Council and other local authorities in Southern Province to apply to the central Government to allow them reposses the water supply function from the water utility company, Swasco, on grounds that the firm had failed to meet its mandate.
The residents complained that Swasco had failed to live up to people’s expectations and therefore the need for the local authorities in the region to takeover its operations to safeguard the interest of the consumers.