By NATION REPORTER
OVER 40 communal boreholes in Chinsali have been rehabilitated by the local authority and are set to improve access to clean and safe water for about 15, 500 people.
The council will also embark on drilling 39 water points in selected sites , which would include 30 in communities and nine in schools commencing next month.
The borehole rehabilitation project, done with support from UNICEF which the local authority contracted out to China Gansu Engineering Corporation started last November.
Chinsali Municipal Council, assistant public relations manager, Lolavye Simukoko said the communal boreholes would help prevent the outbreak of waterborne diseases as sanitation levels were being enhanced.
Mr Simukoko said some of the notable works done were the redevelopment of boreholes, installation of tanks and tank pumping cylinder heads, resurfacing of drainages, unblocking of soak pits, and replacing of galvanised iron riser pipes and rods with stainless steel rods. He said in a statement that the 40 previously-non-functional water points were from Lubu, Malalo, Munwakubili, Ituntwe, Ichinga, Lubwa and Chipanga.
Mr Simukoko said other wards to be benefit from the sustainable water sources were Kaunga, Nkakula, Chambeshi, Mikunku, Chilunda, Itapa and Chunga.
He said identification of the sites was conducted through a joint assessment exercise by the Council and the District Nutrition Coordinating Committee. “It should be noted that the communal boreholes will help prevent the outbreak of waterborne diseases in the district as sanitation levels are being enhanced,” said Mr Simukoko.
Mr Simukoko thanked UNICEF for its generous financial contribution and long-standing support towards the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene programmes.
He appealed to community members to take responsibility of the water points so as to ensure their sustainability.
