By Wezzie Gausi:
The Ministry of Water and Sanitation has said it requires K6.2 billion to finalise the Karonga water project.
The project is expected to benefit 184,000 people in the district and surrounding areas once finalised.
Speaking to The Daily Times, Minister of Water and Sanitation Abida Mia said the additional funding is to be used for the implementation of some critical activities required for substantial completion of the water supply project.
She said these activities include electrical installations including Escom power connection, whose cost has more than doubled, bridge pipeline crossings, part of the water distribution network and access road to Nyanja Hill tank.
“The need has been necessitated by the significant increases in the cost of construction materials due to the impact of the Covid pandemic and devaluation of the Malawi Kwacha.
“The water distribution network has been extended to Pusi to the north, Nyungwe to the south and Mpata to the north-east. The project will also implement 5,000 free new water connections,” Mia said.
Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change Chairperson Werani Chilenga wondered how the problem of shortage of funding has emanated.
He said the project passed through parliament as donor funded hence shortages of funding is something the ministry needs to explain.
“As a committee we have all along supported the water projects in the country. We only need the ministry to be transparent enough in explaining how the funds have been spent and why there are shortages, otherwise we have no problem supporting the project,” Chilenga said.
Implementation of the project is at an advanced stage and current physical progress is at 90 percent. Works are expected to be completed by end March 2024.
The project is being financed by the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, Opec Fund for International Development and the Malawi government.
