George Mhango
Blantyre, Malawi
September 23, 2015
Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika has announced that tapping ground water from Mulanje Mountain would help solve the current water shortage experienced in Blantyre City.
This follows continued complaints from millions of city dwellers that Blantyre Water Board (BWB) has failed them in the provision of potable.
Surveys show that even public and private institutions are affected by the intermittent water supply, which the water board attribute to lack of proper planning.
Mutharika says: “Some Chinese and Indian companies have shown interest to help provide water in various homes and companies.
He was speaking after his recent trip to China for the 2015 World Economic Forum.
We want to get some water from Mulanje Mountain to some other areas in Blantyre. We are discussing with a company from India on how best to fasten the project,” said Mutharika.
The President further said his government was planning to expand the Walkers Ferry in Blantyre and the water sources in Lilongwe and Mzuzu Cities to ensure effective provision of potable water in the country’s cities.
Recently, Lilongwe allowed various water boards in the country to increase their water tariffs by 45 percent despite the current water crisis affecting different operations.
This story was produced with support from the CSE Media Fellowships Programme for the Global South.
