Mon, 08 Jan 2018 13:54:59 +0000
By KALOBWE BWALYA
GOVERNMENT has disputed claims that the Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) is supplying contaminated water to people in cholera prone areas.
Speaking during a joint media briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Water, Sanitation and Environmental Protection Minister Lloyd Kaziya said it was not true that the LWSC was supplying contaminated water to people in cholera affected areas.
He said the water being supplied was coming from Lumumba water point and was treated.
Mr Kaziya assured the nation that the water being ferried in water bowsers to people was clean and safe to drink.
Mr Kaziya said LWSC would continue to provide free water in affected areas and appealed to residents from Kanyama and Chipata compounds to stop drawing water from contaminated shallow wells.
Mr Kaziya said his ministry was working around the clock to ensure that water drawing points were increased as well as water capacity in all cholera affected areas.
He said he would not allow a situation where people continued drawing water from the shallow wells, when Government was providing them with clean, free and safe water.
He said the exercise of burying shallow wells would continue to ensure all of them were buried.
“We want to dispel rumors that LWSC is supplying contaminated water to the people in cholera affected areas, the truth is that the water is being drown from Lumumba water point which is clean and treated water,” said Mr Kaziya.
And Minister of Local Government Vincent Mwale said all bars and night clubs in epicenter would remain closed until further notice.
Mr Mwale also said bars and night clubs in areas where cholera had not been reported yet, would be opening from 11:00 hours to 19:00 hours including other areas in Lusaka and this decision would be reviewed after one week.
Mr Mwale has also declared Chinika ground market as illegal and that people should vacate with immediate effect.
“We are going to ensure that men in uniform help us to enforce if council police can’t manage to do so and bars and night clubs in these areas shall remain closed.
“We have noticed that traders from Soweto market and vendors have turned Chinika grounds into a trading area, we have since declared that market illegal and people should vacant immediately,” said Mr Mwale.
