Chitipa water plant safe from siltation—NRWB

Northern Region Water Board (NRWB) is optimistic the newly opened water plant in Chitipa is safe from siltation, a major setback to provision of tap water in the country.

This follows sights of silt at the $13 million water system opened in March.

The water board plans to construct a barrier to trap the debris from the banks of Kalenge River.

It is also strengthening its ties with riverside villagers to plant trees and stop cultivating and settling on the river banks.

Project manager Khumbo Mwafulirwa said the water supply system will be debris-free  by 2030 if the conservation efforts are sustained.

He said Kalenge’s flow, estimated at 250 litres per second, is much higher than the 61 litres a second to be required in 2030.

The machines run just six hours a day and people say water supply is no longer intermittent.

“The plant is big. We are actually discharging water back into the river because we have more than enough,” he said.

Mwafulirwa commended community members for taking the lead in replenishing trees on the hugely deforested banks.

In 2015, the locals signed an agreement to stop farming and inhabiting Kalenge’s catchment area.

But a new challenge is emerging following vandalism of water pipes, bolts and nuts worth almost K10million.

NRWB spokesperson Edward Nyirenda said the statutory company will deploy a team to sensitise communities along the pipeline on the ills of vandalism.