Investments in exploring means govt’s commitment to improve livelihood – Banda

Investments in exploring means govt’s commitment to improve livelihood – Banda

Lusaka, Jun 10/14—— Deputy Minister   of Local Government and Housing, Nicholas Banda, says the new investment of exploring increased investment in sanitation provision demonstrates Government’s commitment to improving the living conditions of citizens through improved sanitation services.

Mr Banda said improved provision of sanitation is government’s national development agenda aimed at contributing to the national vision of developing Zambia to a prosperous middle income nation by 2030.

Mr Banda was speaking during the launch of the Lusaka Sanitation Preparation Project Workshop at Hotel Intercontinental in Lusaka today.

The water project is funded by the World Bank

And Senior Sanitation Specialist at the World Bank, Mike Webster, said the workshop is timely organized to not only address the critical current sanitation provision challenges but also the future ones.

Mr Webster said though a number of interventions have been implemented, the measures have mainly focused on water supply and drainage with little investment in sanitation.

Meanwhile, Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) Managing Director, George Ndongwe, says the problem of sanitation in Lusaka is a big one.

Mr Ndongwe attributed the problem to the ever-growing growing population of about 3million people of which 1.8million reside in the peri-urban areas.

He added that 87 per cent of these have access to water while 30 per cent have improved access to sanitation, while most of these stay in conventional areas. 

Mr Ndongwe added that the increased supply of water without the corresponding improvements in sanitation has created an additional public health risk.