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Government says it is taking practical steps towards achieving the National Vision of providing clean and safe drinking water and adequate sanitation to everyone by 2030 by constructing and rehabilitating water supply and sanitation infrastructure.
Speaking during the official launch of the Kalingalinga Sanitation Marketing Project in Lusaka’s Kalingalinga compound today, outgoing Local Government and Housing Minister, Emerine Kabanshi says government is concerned with the continued use of Pit Latrines in peri urban areas because they pose challenges in promoting good sanitation and hygiene.
She says the use of pit latrines in peri-urban areas is not sustainable as there is limited land to continue digging up more pits after one has been filled up.
Ms Kabanshi states that government working in collaboration with water utility companies is working hard in ensuring that people have access to proper and quality sanitation.
The Local Government and Housing Minister states that pit latrines are also hazardous to environment and a recipe for contaminating ground water, thereby causing outbreaks of water borne-diseases.
Speaking at the same event,World Bank Country Director Kundhavi Kadiresan, says the campaign will play a vital role to raise awareness on sanitation, good hygiene practices and infrastructure maintenance targeted at the Kalingalinga Community in general.
Dr. Kadiresan says Lusaka faces a huge challenge to reach its Sanitation Master plan target of 100% sanitation coverage by 2035.
She says currently only 69% of the city’s two million population has access to any form of sanitation, while the sewer network of 480 kilometers serves about 30% of the city area, with only ten to fifteen percent of the population connected to the network.
Speaking earlier, Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) Board Chairman, Dr. Mundia Muya, says the company remains focused in ensuring that it improves the sanitation standards of the local people more especially in peri-urban areas.
And Munali Constituency Member of Parliament, Professor Nkandu Luo, has urged the residents of Kalingalinga to safeguard the infrastructure so that the project can be a success.
