ACCESS to clean water and sanitation by all members of the public cannot be over-emphasised.
This is why we join the residents of Lusaka in welcoming the Lusaka Water Supply, Sanitation and Drainage (LWSSD) project, which is expected to gobble up US$355 million.
The funds have been availed through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) of the United States (US) government, and the project is expected to benefit 1.2 million residents in the capital city.
Among the areas to benefit from the LWSSD are Chawama, Kanyama, Kabwata and Chongwe.
The project is already in swing and yesterday, a ground-breaking ceremony was held in Lusaka’s Garden Township for the commencement of rehabilitation and expansion of the backbone drain, commonly known as the Bombay drainage.
Previously, some contracts had been signed for more than 2.6 kilometres of drainage in Mazyopa settlement, which is located downstream the Ngwerere River, at a cost of $17.2million.
CMC and Gabriel Couto is the contractor tasked to handle the Bombay drainage rehabilitation, which will consume $53 million of the $355 million.
The rehabilitation of the Bombay drainage is important because it is one certain measure of addressing challenges of flooding during the wet season, improving water supply and reducing incidences of water-borne diseases.
Local Government and Housing Minister Stephen Kampyongo, who graced the ground-breaking ceremony, thanked the US for its unwavering support towards the Government’s programmes on improving the livelihood of the citizenry.
Poor drainage infrastructure has haunted Lusaka for a long time with many parts of the capital city a hazard for both motorists and pedestrians after a heavy downpour.
The water-borne disease burden has equally been heavy on the capital city, leaving a negative impact on the life expectancy as diarrhoea diseases have continued to claim people’s lives.
At present, cholera is the most pronounced epidemic in Lusaka with more than 500 people hit by the disease which broke out in February.
Hence, the LWSSD project is timely to improve access to clean and safe drinking water as well as opening up inaccessible routes during the rainy season.
We are of the view that drainage maintenance is a culture that needs to be developed in each and every one of us in order to ensure that the infrastructure operates efficiently and delivers the intended benefits.
Everyone has a role to play in eliminating practices such as the indiscriminate disposing of litter in the drainage and managing solid waste properly.
The Lusaka City Council (LCC) should ensure that the drainage infrastructure is maintained constantly to avoid defects which may be caused by the natural or artificial forces of nature.
The MCC funding programme has a duration of five years and the allocation for Zambia is envisaged to come to an end in November 2018.
It is, therefore, critical that the contractors engaged during various segments of the LWSSD commit themselves to the timely completion of the project.