By Chilungamo Missi
Blantyre, February 3: Minister of Water and Sanitation, Abida Mia has hailed Blantyre Water Board (BWB) for ensuring that people in Blantyre have enough access to clean water especially this time when the country is experiencing serious cholera outbreak.
Mia made the remarks in Blantyre on Thursday when she visited BWB head office before touring Zingwangwa Health Centre and some BWB Water Kiosks surrounding the health facility.
Mia said the country has been badly affected by cholera saying the solution to end the outbreak is through joint efforts by the communities, organisations, development partners and government.
“From what I have witnessed today and during my past visits, BWB is doing all it can to ensure that people in Blantyre are supplied with clean water. Water Kiosks which were not operational have been reopened and are supplying water to low-income communities.
“For areas like Makhetha, Bangwe, and Soche Hill which have challenges with piped water, the water utility is supplying them using water bowsers,” said Mia.
She therefore encouraged people to practice proper hygiene and always use clean water while emphasizing that one cannot practice hygiene and sanitation without clean water.
In his remarks, BWB Board Chairperson, Joe Ching’ani said BWB still intensifying efforts to ensure there is enough supply of water in order to deal with the cholera outbreak in Blantyre.
He said: “Those kiosks that owe us huge bills in arrears have been given a relief not to pay BWB in the meantime and we have also gone further by providing some overdraft to some kiosks. We had schools also whose supply had been disconnected due to payment arrears; we have moved to reconnect them as we wait for the cholera outbreak to end.”
 for ensuring that people in Blantyre have enough access to clean water especially this time when the country is experiencing serious cholera outbreak.){kind=link}