Government has released K3 million emergency funding for the rehabilitation of old dilapidated and collapsed sewer lines in Luanshya District that is posing serous health hazards to residents.
Water Development Sanitation and Environmental Protection Minister, Jonas Chanda who disclosed this in Luanshya when he called on Luanshya Mayor, Nathan Chanda, says this is in line with President Edgar Lungu’s commitment to providing clean and safe water and sanitation services to Luanshya residents and all Zambians without leaving anyone behind.
Dr Chanda says this is in line with the Vision 2030, the Seventh National Development Plan and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Minister says the ZMK 3 million is for the rehabilitation of the old dilapidated and collapsed sewer lines in various townships of Luanshya including Roan, Mpatamatu, Town Centre, Mikomfwa, New Town area, Kamirenda, Ndeke and Jacaranda.
Most sewer lines in Luanshya were laid in the 1930s.
Dr Chanda says 40,000 people, in 4,000 houses, in Roan Constituency will benefit from the Water bills write -off exercise by Kafubu Water Supply and Sanitation Company for the water bills issued to them using fixes billing systems during the period in which they did not receive water.
He says residents should not pay for a service they never got.
The move follows a petition written by Luanshya Mayor Nathan Chanda to Kafubu Water Supply and Sanitation Company on behalf of all Luanshya residents affected by billing without water supply.
The Minister says the areas to benefit from the Water Bills Write-Off exercise as verified by Kafubu Water and Sanitation company are Sections 2BB, 8, 9 and 10 in Roan Township, and Sections 21,22,23 and 27 in Mpatamatu Townships .
Dr Chanda further urged residents to exercise customer Responsibility by starting to pay for water bills after the write-off since they will now receive water, and to help prevent vandals on water and sewer networks which are rampant in the district.
The Minister, who together with Luanshya Mayor Nathan Chanda later inspected dilapidated sewer lines and water systems in Roan and Mpatamatu townships, says the open sewer lines discharging raw sewer from houses in Roan Constituency are the worst he has seen so far in the country. He says this is the main reason so many residents have suffered from deadly diarrhoeal diseases, including dysentery, typhoid and cholera.
And Luanshya Mayor Nathan Chanda has thanked His Excellency President Edgar Lungu and the Patriotic Front (PF) Government for coming to the aid of Luanshya residents and addressing historical challenges in water and sanitation which previous governments failed to solve.
