NKHOTAKOTA RESIDENTS CRY FOUL OVER WATER PROBLEMS

Some residents of Dwangwa in Nkhotakota have complained over water problems a thing that has forced them queuing for water from boreholes and other unprotected sources.

According to the residents, the area has been experiencing dry taps for the better part of this year but the problem worsened over the past two months.

A resident in the area, Martha Pondeni, said they are forced to wake up at night to draw water.

“In some areas, water comes out at midnight and we have to wake up to draw and if we fail to do so, we fetch it from boreholes or wells,” she said.
Concerned with the development, Village Head Kapendekera asked Central Region Water Board (CRWB) to admit that it has failed to provide water and pave the way for government to drill boreholes in the area.

Kapendekera said this last week when Nkhotakota Pentecostal Churches Association (Nkhopeca) launched a project to dig rubbish pits in the area as one way of promoting sanitation.

“We cannot talk of sanitation if people are spending days without water. Convey the message to Central Region Water Board that if they cannot give us water, they better admit it so that government can come in and drill boreholes,” he said.

Councillor for the area, Charles Kamija, said officials from Dwangwa water board office told him that the problem was a result of a single water pump that was failing to pump enough water to meet the demand.

He said he was organising protests where people would voice out their concerns.

When contacted last Saturday CRWB spokesperson Zephelino Mitumba asked for a questionnaire which he did not respond to.

When called again on Tuesday, he said he was traveling to Mzuzu and, therefore, could not respond to the questionnaire