Government funds Kalomo dam construction

Government funds Kalomo dam construction

Kalomo, March 7, ZANIS ———- Government through the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) under the Office of the Vice- President has released KR540.00 towards the rehabilitation of B- Williams dam in Kalomo, the only water body that the local water utility company relies on to supply the commodity to its customers in the township.

District Commissioner, Brave Mweetwa confirmed the development in an interview with ZANIS in Kalomo today saying the Southern Water and Sewerage Company (SWSCO) has also so far spent colossal sums of money towards the rehabilitation works of the same dam after it was washed away some three weeks ago.

Mr Mweetwa said the money so far released is an intermediate measure to construct a coffer dam while a full rehabilitation is still being awaited in due course.

A team of SWASCO, ZNS and DMMU equipment has since been deployed at the dam to do the rehabilitation works.

The 1,500,000 cubic metres water holding dam had its embankment washed away by torrential rains with a staggering KR1.1 million, bill of quantities estimated to be spent to bring it to its full normal operational standard.

It serves over 11,000 piped water to residents of Kalomo township and if rehabilitation works are not completed before the end of the rain season to tap the water, it poses a looming disaster for the entire Kalomo township.

And efforts to get a comment on the progress works on the dam from SWASCO Director of Operation, Charles Shindaile by press time proved futile as his phone went unanswered.