Govt ponders increasing rural access to water

3
Drinking Water, Water Supply, Fresh Water
Drinking Water, Water Supply, Fresh Water
Government has targeted to increase the percent of water supply in rural areas from the current sixty one percent to sixty five percent by 2014.

Local Government and Housing Deputy Minister John Kufuna has disclosed that this will be achieved by constructing two thousand new Bore-Holes , two hundred and fifty hand dug wells and fifty piped water schemes.

Mr. Kufuna notes that government will also rehabilitate two thousand broken down Bore-Holes and one hundred hands dug wells.

He adds that government has also targeted to construct five hundred Latrines in institutions such as Schools, Markets and Health Centers.

The Deputy Minister disclosed this during the commemoration of the Global Hand-Washing day dubbed power is in your hands in Chibombo District yesterday.

Mr. Kufuna stated that measures will be taken to increase water supply in Urban and Peri-Urban areas in order to increase access to clean and safe drinking water from the current eighty two percent to eighty four percent.

And UNICEF chief of water sanitation and hygiene at WASH Nicholas Olsbert said about forty five percent of Children in Zambia are stunted with a higher risk of diseases which are associated with a huge toll in society thereby delaying development in the country.

Mr Olsbert however, notes the need to increase awareness and understanding of the importance of hand washing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent diseases.

Earlier Chibombo District Commissioner Felix Mang’wato noted the need for Traditional Leaders to play a significant role in issues of Disease Control through provision of clean water by drilling Bore-holes in their Chiefdoms.

And Chief Chamuka the sixth of the Lenje speaking people in Chisamba District has implored government to intensify inspections in the community to ensure that there is compliance to hand washing with soap.

The Traditional Leader has since urged the community to unite in the fight against diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia in order to save lives and resources which can be channeled to other developmental National projects.

3 COMMENTS

Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel reply