Blantyre residents celebrates Christmas with dry taps

Water crisis that has engulfed most parts in Malawi's commercial capital, Blantyre has adversely affected most households as instead of celebrating Christmas are seen running up and down searching for water as there is no water supply in their areas. [caption id="attachment_78044" align="alignright" width="457"] Mateyu: BWB engineers are currently working on the problemya[/caption] Water users have now gone for at least four days without water, a development that has irked and dragged residents in awkward situation. According to Blantyre Water Board (BWB), a pipe that supplies water to areas in Soche Zone was washed away by rains at Nansolo river in Ndirande. Areas that have been affected include Manyowe, Sunnyside, CI, New and Old Naperi, Kamba, Zingwangwa, Chilobwe, Stella Maris, Green Corner, Mpempa, Chilobwe Chatha, Ginnery Corner, Baluti, Nancholi and Mandala. Heavy rains also washed away several houses, properties and three people along the river in the highly densely population of the commercial capital. A 64 year-old man and two children, aged 15 and 3, were reportedly washed away. Meanwhile, BWB spokesperson Priscilla Mateyu said their engineers are currently working on the problem to make sure that supply is restored at the earliest possible time. "Customers in Soche Zone are requested to close their water taps during this period and use water sparingly," said Mateyu. She said the Board regrets the inconvenience the problem has caused in the said Zone. The development comes barely a few days after President Peter Mutharika assured Malawians that government is doing everything possible to solve water shortage problems. Mutharika said his administration is determined to make BWB to be able to supply sufficient water to all residents. He also observed that BWB's infrastructure is aged and has out-lived its designed capacity, which initially meant for a population of 500,000 residents up to the year 1999 and today BWB has over 1 million customers. "Further due to inadequate rains in the year 2012/13, the Mudi Dam which produces 10 percent of the Board's water production dried up by October 2014. "We embarked on a total rehabilitation of the BWB production facilities and replacement of pumps at Walker Ferry and Chileka Pumping Sites and by March 2015, the BWB will be able to meet all the demand of 96,000 cubic meters per day up from the current 74,000 cubic meters production capacity," said Mutharika in national address last weekend. He also said in additional government will construct a water supply system from Mulanje Mountain at the cost of about $12 million to provide extra 8,000 cubic meters of water per day to Blantyre and surrounding areas.