By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA –
GOVERNMENT has provided US$200 million for phase two of the Nkana Water Supply and Sanitation project covering Kitwe, Kalulushi and Chambishi on the Copperbelt.
The project, which is aimed at improving water supply and sanitation services in the three towns, follows the successful implementation of the just completed phase one project implemented at a cost of $63million by the Nkana Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC).
NWSC public relations manager Mwangala Chiwala said the water utility company was privileged that Government had again looked into their requirements by coming up with the required funding for the phase two project.
Ms Chiwala said recently during the Nkana Water Supply and Sanitation phase two scoping meeting held at Hotel Edinburgh in Kitwe that, the project was being financed with the assistance of the China Development Bank.
“Right now, we are carrying out the Nkana Water Supply and Sanitation phase two scoping meeting process aimed at consulting various stakeholders on how best we can improve the designs of the project,” Ms Chiwala said.
She commended Government for having been considerate by providing funding to NWSC soon after the utility had completed the first phase, which was funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
Ms Chiwala said the implementation of the project was expected to commence after conclusion of the scoping meetings to encompass inputs of various stakeholders.
So far, the water utility company had already conducted scoping meetings for Kalulushi and Chambishi and with Kitwe now being done, the designs of the project would follow.
Ms Chiwala said with the two projects, both phase one and two, the NWSC was on course in improving water supply and sanitation services in Kitwe, Kalulushi and Chambishi.
“We have already scored some successes in the phase one project, which has seen increased water supply hours from an average of 10 hours to 16 hours and we now have 90 per cent coverage and in terms of sanitation, we are now at 67 per cent coverage,” she said.
