By CHATULA KAMPO –

GOVERNMENT has raised K5.1 million towards the procurement of a dredger that will help remove weeds in the Kafubu River in Ndola.

Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Stanford Msichili in an interview said Government had raised K5.1 million out of K7 million required to procure a dredger for the province.

Mr Msichili said the provincial administration managed to raise K3.1 million from its own resources while the disaster management and mitigation unit (DMMU), under the office of the Vice-President funded K2 million towards the procurement of a dredger.

“We have managed to raise K5.1 million out of the K7 million to procure this equipment. As a province, we managed to raise K3.1 million from our resources. The office of the Vice-President gave as K2 million,” he said.

Mr Msichili said his office was scouting for the remaining K2 million required to procure the dredger to remove the weeds from the Kafubu River in Ndola.

A dredger is an equipment used to remove weeds and other unnecessary substance in a river in order to allow the smooth flow of water.

The cleaning up of the Kafubu River would also control flooding in the area and increase water supply system for the water utility company.

Last year, The Ndola City Council engaged some fishermen from Luapula Province to remove the weeds from the river.

The council said the fishermen managed to remove part of the weed but there was need for a dredger that should remove all unwanted material in the river.