Mangochi’s K21bln water project to be commissioned in May

The Parliamentary Committee at the site

* We are only remaining with 10kms out of the 80km pipeline and electro-mechanics work

* Which include installation of pumps which is now in progress—site engineer

By Ernest Mfunya, MANA

The K21 billion Southern Region Water Board (SRWB) potable water supply project at Nkhudzi Bay in Mangochi at 83% towards completion and expected to be commissioned in May 2023.

This was announced on Saturday by SRWB’s project site engineer, Mussa Ching’amba when Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources & Climate Change toured the project to appreciate its progress.

Ching’amba said the project, financed by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, was progressing well as its treatment plant, tanks and part of works on pipeline have been completed.

“We are only remaining with 10kms out of the 80km pipeline and electro-mechanics work, which include installation of pumps which is now in progress,” he said.

Once completed, the joint venture project with Plem-Alghanim will supply safe water to a population of about 93,000 from Nkhudzi Bay via Mtakataka turn-off to Mpondasi at Mangochi Boma.

After the visit the Parliamentary Committee chairperson, Werani Chilenga said they were impressed with its progress and quality of works, describing the project as one of the significant projects SRWB is implementing for Malawians in line with the MW2063 development blueprint.

“These are the types of projects that we should invest in and l am sure a lot of people will benefit from this project once it starts operating,” he said, while expressing hope that the water project would provide reliable and adequate water to satisfy demand for clean water for people of Mangochi.

The MP for Chitipa South called on government and development partners to support SRWB in implementing projects in the country.

In his remarks, SRWB Chief Executive Officer, Duncan Chambamba thanked the committee for touring the project, saying this shows its significance in the country.

He said the Board had a successful meeting with the Parliamentary Committee and expressed optimism that the Parliamentarians will support them in implementing water projects in the region.

The project attracted controversy early last year when civil society organisations (CSOs) — National Youth Climate Change Network, Center for Environmental Policy & Advocacy and Movement for Environment Action — obtained a court injunction stopping its implementation, citing that they feared the project would harm the environment in the national park.

But traditional leaders in Mangochi, led by Senior Chief Nankumba, stood up and told three civil society organizations to immediately vacate the injunction to allow the project to move on.

They were backed by another CSO, Forum for Social Economic Development (FOSEMA) and the chiefs maintained that some of the supposedly concerned people in the three CSOs were not even residents of Mangochi, who did not know the importance of the project.

A few weeks later, the Supreme Court in Blantyre stayed the injunction that granted SRWB granted permission to restart the project, which stalled for some months.—Additional reporting by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express