Govt. aims at increasing clean water supply to 88%

Government is targeting to increase access to clean water for domestic supply and sanitation in rural areas from the current 65 percent to 80 percent by the year 2016.

Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development Christopher Yaluma also says government is determined to increase water access levels in urban areas from the current 84 percent to 88 percent by 2016.

Mr. Yaluma further says government is aiming at increasing the sanitation standards from 48 percent to 53 percent in rural areas and from 65 percent to 75 percent in urban areas in the next two years.

The minister expressed confident that the intended targets will be achieved once all the programmes that are under implementation are completed.

He said this in Lusaka today when he officially opened the fourth Zambia water forum and exhibition (ZAWAFE) which is being held under the theme “sustaining and improving the Zambian water sector: 50 years after independence”.

The forum has brought together over 250 national and international stakeholders and experts to discuss and share best practices on water management and mainstreaming water as a core component of social and economic development.

And Mr. Yaluma says government has prioritised infrastructure development in order to improve service delivery in the water supply and sanitation sub-sector.

Mr. Yaluma said the six drilling rigs which government purchased recently has also enhanced the ground water development in the country.