LCC advised to work on Kulima Tower drainages

which Millennium Challenge Account Zambia has contributed $863 708.18 while VAREN has contributed $39,344.00,” he said.

And VAREN board chairperson Gilbert Mwila said Mtendere settlement was selected among other peri urban areas in Lusaka because 95% of the households currently used onsite pit latrines.

Mr Mwila added that, Mtendere was also situated on the recharge zone of Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) borehole that supplied 12% of the water delivery to many parts of Lusaka.

“Recent studies have shown that poor onsite sanitation facilities such as pit-latrines and septic tanks are currently the largest threat to groundwater quality.

“The provision of an offsite sanitation system in Mtendere will not only improve health status of the people but contribute to the protection and long term sustainability of ground water resources by eliminating the potential for contamination from pit latrines,” he said. Meanwhile Mtendere ward 30 councillor Watson Mtonga thanked Government, VAREN, and MCA for the project that was going to take place in his ward to improve sanitation in the area. THE Lusaka City Council (LCC) should work on the blocked drainages that have caused flooding at Kulima Tower bus station and in the Central Business District (CDB), a concerned resident Patrick Kajimbaya has advised.

Mr Kajimbaya said LCC should mobilise casual workers to work on the drainages at the bus station and along Freedom Way road.

Mr Kajimbaya wondered why the local authority had failed to work on drainages at the bus station despite being aware of the problem.

He told the Daily Nation that floods at the bus station were affecting movement of commuters and business among traders whose shops are at the station.

Another commuter Shadreck Mulenga attributed the blocked drainages to the habit of some residents throwing litter in the drains. Yesterday, rowdy call boys were busy cashing-in from the stranded commuters at the station who they were carrying on their backs while others were paying to walk on makeshift temporal ‘bridges’.

Meanwhile, PF Independence Ward councillor George Daka has assured commuters that the council was addressing the matter seriously especially at Kulima tower bus station. Mr Daka said he would soon start touring all bus stations and markets that where in his ward to check on the floods situation. He also expressed happiness to note that there were no makeshift structures that had been erected at Kulimatower bus station because they were also contributing to the floods in CDB, but warned that the LCC would not hesitate to bring down illegal structures.

“My appeal is that everyone should be participating during monthly general cleaning exercises and we will ensure that bus drivers, conductors, street vendors and all those who trade from town centre take part in the exercise so that we keep the city clean. Therefore I will continue sensitizing the traders on the importance of keeping their surroundings clean especially from the CDB so that cholera does not recur and bus drivers should also take part in sensitizing the commuters against throwing litter anyhow by providing dust bins in buses, “he said.