Pump water from Lake Malawi
One of the issues President Peter Mutharika raised in his State of the Nation Address last week was to assure residents of Blantyre have efficient provision of water supply. While the President specifically singled out Blantyre residents, residents in many parts of the country face an acute shortage of water. Some residents draw water from communal water kiosks. The situation becomes worse in summer when water levels in catchment areas is low.
Ironically, the lack of access to adequate water supply is against the abundant water reserve in Lake Malawi. Malawi is blessed with a fresh water lake capable of supplying water to the whole country. However, successive governments have not seriously invested in water generation. They have relied on rain, storing water in small dams and other unreliable catchment areas for water resources.
Blantyre residents should not really experience water shortage because the Shire River, which drains Lake Malawi, has abundant water supply. This means there is constant flow of water throughout the year. The fact that water is pumped 40 kilometres away from Walker’s Ferry should not be an issue. The problem is that government and Blantyre Water Board (BWB) have neglected to modernise machines to cope with the rising demand for water due to urbanisation.
The only viable way to solve water problems in Malawi is for government to invest heavily in the construction of dams across the country and then pump from the lake into the dams. From the dams, the water will be purified in tanks before consumers can use it. Other countries such as Zimbabwe and South Africa get water from afar. For example, South Africa imports some of its water from Katse Dam in Lesotho, some 450 kilometres away, which supplies water to Johannesburg residents and other towns.
It is unfortunate that Malawi has plenty of water, but is still faced with water crisis when the lake is close to cities and towns. Water can easily be pumped from the lake inland. But successive governments have paid lip service to ending water crisis and allowing people access water without any problems. People in cities and towns still struggle to access water. Some have resorted to using water from unsafe rivers and wells. Villagers are in more precarious position than those who live in cities and towns. Yet, the lake is within easy reach. For example, the Lake Malawi is about 100 kilometres away from Lilongwe. But Lilongwe experiences water shortage and not all residents access piped water.
By pumping water from the lake to inland areas, many towns will have abundant water supply not only for consumption, but for irrigation. This means government can pump water from the lake all the way to Mwanza, Neno, Ntcheu, Dedza, Mchinji, Kasungu, Mzimba, Mzuzu, Rumphi and Chitipa. The water from the lake can be supported by water from perennial river.
A few years ago, government procured a loan from the World Bank to improve water supply, but nothing has improved. Despite the inadequate water supply, tariffs are very high.
As the year draws to an end, Malawians are expecting that New Year to bring new hope in accessing basic needs of which water is one of them. One can hope the President’s speech is not just another talk show like speeches of his predecessors. Malawians are looking for a government that can deliver on its promises. They need action.
