The Pacific Limited a firm currently repairing for free broken boreholes in Nsanje district has cited high water salinity levels in the district as a major factor contributing to broken boreholes in the district.
The company’s borehole rehabilitation project Team leader, James Nsusa has told Malawi voice that for instance out of over 40 boreholes the firm has lined up to repair in Nsanje Central Constituency for free, almost half of them broke down due to the challenge of saline water .
“The situation is really contributed to the wearing out of most borehole spare parts mainly the pedestals, pump heads, rods etc, there by rendering most boreholes unusable”, said Msusa.
He added that as a solution to the challenge, the firm has resorted to using galvanised and stainless steel borehole spare parts in all the boreholes they are repairing instead of steel parts.
On his part Nsanje, district water development officer, Chikumbutso Herema also acknowledged the challenge saying authorities in the district have been encouraging communities facing the challenge to be contributing little amount of money for them to be repairing the worn out spare parts every three months which he said most communities are unable to.
Parliamentarian for Nsanje Central Constituency, Kafandikhale Mandevana in whose area the firm is currently carrying out the free borehole maintenance works said the challenge has been forcing him to be facilitating for the changing of the borehole spare parts every two years a development which he said has was costly .
Currently the Pacific Limited has rehabilitated over 200 boreholes in Nsanje out of the 300 boreholes it has earmarked to repair while in Zomba the firm has repaired about 300 boreholes out of the of 500 boreholes it has lined up.
The Pacific Limited has renovated over 7,000 boreholes since 2015.
