Zambia to miss MDG on sanitation – NWASCO

And NWASCO has observed that it is likely Zambia will not attain the Millennium Development Goal on sanitation by 2015 owing to the fact that most rural parts of Zambia are still lagging behind in terms of sanitation.

Speaking during a media breakfast meeting in Lusaka today, NWASCO Director Kelvin Chitumbo says the water losses for the commercial utility companies in 2013 reduced by 48 percent from 81 percent in 2001 and 2002.

Mr. Chitumbo says there has also been an increase in water supply by the commercial utility companies to seventeen hours per day.

Mr. Chitumbo says most challenges the water and sanitation sector is facing include; improved relations between planning authorities and commercial utility companies in developing areas, wastage of water in prisons, barracks and police camps and prompt payment of bills by government institutions.

He adds that power outages which are adversely affecting service delivery is also another major challenge the sector has continued to experience.

Speaking at the same meeting, Devolution Trust Fund (DTF) Manager, Sam Gong’a, says DTF has financed about seventy seven water supply projects in the country from 2006 to date which has benefited about one million people.

Mr. Gong’a says four sanitation projects have been financed which have also benefited about fifteen thousand six hundred people throughout the country.

He adds that DTF has targeted eighty thousand people in low income areas with sanitation services by 2015.

And NWASCO Public Relations Manager, Rose Tembo, said 2.4 million people in Zambia have no access to basic sanitation.

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