Solwezi in water blues

Sat, 05 Nov 2016 13:21:42 +0000

A CRITICAL water shortage has hit some parts of Solwezi district in North-Western Province for the past two weeks now.

The affected areas are Kazomba and Messengers townships and the Urban areas.

A check by the Daily Nation found residents especially women in long queues drawing water from shallow wells along the stream.

Melody Sandumba of Messengers told the Daily Nation in an interview that finding water for household use was a major challenge, adding that chance of cholera outbreak were extremely high.

Another resident Esther Makayi of Kazomba said it was sad that in the 21st Century people were still subjected to water shortages.

She said residents were being subjected to drawing water from shallow wells which she said were also drying up.

And John Kaonga of Urban area said issues of water should be addressed to the fullest so that people were not subjected to unnecessary suffering, adding that residents were tired of carrying buckets of water on their heads.

Mr Kaonga said the area had been experiencing water shortage for a long time now and that even the pressure was very low.

“We are forced to wake up as early as 04:00 hours to join the long queues at the nearest available water points to draw water. Now what kind of life is this?” he asked.

And Tumwanganai ward councillor Kyapalushi Kapatamoyo has challenged the water utility company to be innovative in order to enhance effective water supply to residents in the affected areas.

Ms Kapatamoyo told the Daily Nation in an interview that people have stopped using flushing toilets and have opted to pit latrines due to water shortages.

“Now, if all houses, for example, in Urban area started using pit latrines, how is the situation going to be? And as long as this water problem is not addressed in the quickest possible time, the situation will be worse,” she said.

She also said it was unfortunate that despite residents being subjected to huge water bills, the commodity was still being rationed.

She appealed to the water utility company to address the situation before the possible outbreak of waterborne diseases such as cholera.