— Govt. to build 40 boreholes across the country

—Parliament heard today that government will this year construct 40 bore holes across the country at a total cost of K1,200,000.

Local Government and Housing Deputy Minister Nicholas Banda says government is determined to provide quality clean water to its citizens in the country.

Mr. Banda said Government has engaged the University of Zambia’s Department of Water and Exploration to carry out a feasibility study to ascertain the levels of salty on ground water.

He said some sites in Kazungula and Mwandi Districts in Southern and Western provinces respectively were undergoing feasibility studies launched as the said areas are salty.

The Deputy Minister, who is also MMD Kapoche Member of Parliament (MP),  disclosed that government has built 13 bore holes in Kazungula district in Southern province at a cost of K488,450.

He was responding to a question raised by UPND Katombola MP Mr Derick Livune who wanted to find out how many boreholes were sunk by the Government in Kazungula District last year and how many boreholes are earmarked for sinking in 2014.

He however, commended the stakeholders that were complimenting with government to drill bore holes among vulnerable communities in the country.

Mr. Banda further dismissed assertions that the PF Government has introduced K1,500 commitment fee.

He said the government of the day just upheld the fee introduced by the previous government MMD in line with Government’s policy to attain the UN 2015 Millennium Development Goal on water and sanitation in rural areas.