By KASONDE KASONDE –

LUNSEMFWA Hydro Power Company Limited Chief Executive Katai Kachasa says the company has failed to resume its operations due to inadequate water levels.
Mr Kachasa said the rainfall being experienced at Meter Hills dam is not sufficient to enable the Power Plant carry on its operations.
He further said the water levels at the dam have not yet started recovering despite some improvements being noticed at Mulungushi Dam.
Mr Kachasa, however, said he was optimistic that the plant would be able to reopen with the change in the weather pattern.
Mr Kachasa was speaking during a radio programme on KNC Radio in Kabwe.
‘’The operations at the Power Plant have been suspended due to the low levels of water in the Dam so we are unable to produce power, but we are hopeful that the rainfall patterns will change,” Mr Kachasa said.
The company shutdown its Lunsemfwa power plant last year in September due to low water accumulation in the river catchment areas, creating a loss of US$9 Million.
Mr Kachasa disclosed in September last year during a press briefing that the Power Plant supply to ZESCO had been reducing from 56 Kilo Watts in January to 48 in April and subsequently to 20 kilo watts.
He said the company faced a similar setback 10 years ago and was forced to shut down after which it recovered and that he was hopeful that as the rainy season advances, the water levels would increase at the dam.