By George Mponda
Over 15 thousand people at Chimbiya in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Kaphuka in Dedza have been connected to piped water following completion of Chimbiya Groundwater Project by Water Commission Malawi.
Speaking after launching the piped water supply on Friday, country director for Water Commission Malawi, Nixon Sinziya said Chimbiya was identified for the project because there was a critical need for safe water.
“We drilled a 100 meter deep borehole and found a very good yield of ground water which produces 2 liters per second. This water is pumped into pipes by a submersible pump that is solar powered and then treated with chlorine,” Sinziya said.
He said the piped water supply is reaching out to Group Village Heads (GVHs) Kasache, Makankhula, Chafwala, Khuwi and Payiwe.
Chief Director in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Dr. Yanira Ntupanyama commended Water Commission Malawi for the project, saying piped water supply would help prevent waterborne diseases in the area.
In his remarks, GVH Kasache thanked government and all stakeholders involved in the project saying it has reduced the long distances people were taking to access water which was mostly unsafe.
The project started in April 2019 with funding from the World Bank through the Southern Africa Development Community-Groundwater Management Institute (SADC-GMI).
