Nchelenge council counsels water company

—The Nchelenge District Council (NDC) has advised the Luapula Water and Sewerage Company (LWSCO) to put its house in order before blaming anyone for its failure.

Council Secretary (CS), Mulowa Sishumba, said the water utility company should start by providing adequate, safe and clean water to the consumers before blaming others.

Mr Sishumba said the people of Nchelenge are in dire need of piped water that should pass the basic requirement for human consumption.

He said the efforts by the water provider will be misguided and in futility if it continues to supply water that will be a source of diseases.

Mr Sishumba was speaking during the second quarter District Development Coordinating Committee (DDCC) meeting held at the Council Chamber.

He charged that because of the inability by the water utility company to prove safe and clean water for Nchelenge residents, the local authority has been forced to sink boreholes in some compounds.

Speaking earlier Luapula Water and Sewerage Company director, Mweni Chipyoka, blamed the Zesco) for its failure to provide running water to the clients.

Mr Chipyoka said the power outages coupled with low voltage that have characterised the district has contributed to the intermittent supply of water.

He explained that currently the pump supplying the Boma is not functional following the blowing off of the fuse as a result of the voltage fluctuation but was quick to say that it would soon be fixed.

He admitted that the water supplied by the utility company   is full of foreign matter but argued that it is free of germs that may cause diseases.

However, Mr Sishumba disagreed with the officer, arguing that the assertion by the utility company was aimed at misleading the people.

He observed that there is no need to mislead water consumers on the matter because the commodity is not fit for human consumption and not readily available and easily accessible by the users.

And Nchelenge District acting Medical Officer, Jeremiah Chansa, noted that the water pumped by the water utility company was not good for consumption and called for the sensitization of the members of the community to avoid cholera outbreaks.

Mr Chansa said water is life but only when it is of desirable quality and that people should not be urged to consume the contaminated commodity.