Water crisis hits Blantyre city

Supply of safe water has run out in most parts of Malawi’s commercial city, Blantyre, causing great anxiety over the residents’ lives.

A snap survey by Nyasa Times this week revealed that there is loss of tap water in most high-density areas as supply is coming out in very low quantity.

This has forced women and young girls to bear the unpleasantly chilly weather that has knocked Blantyre city the last few days, to fetch the valuable resource
from the already contaminated city rivers and water spots.

The sad occurrence comes a few months after government admitted that Blantyre Water Board (BWB) has disappointingly failed to serve the city residents with the expected services, pledging it would soon start piping water from Mulanje Mountain, about 50 kilometres away from the city.

In some parts of Ndirande, Chilomoni, Manase, Machinjiri and Bangwe, water has been flowing at annoyingly very low rates for the last five days and some people have had to import the commodity from far-off areas.

"To make matters worse if the water is to flow then it is at awkward hours when we are asleep…like me I have not taken bath for two days now," complained one vendor from Chilomoni.

There was no immediate comment from authorities at Blantyre Water Board, as the landlines were not picked when Nyasa Times called their office.

Those who are placed at strategic areas where water continues to flow have at the same time are making some good monies by selling a pail of water (15/20 litres) at K10 each.

Fortunately, the main hospital has not reported any case of cholera yet from any of the townships as a result of the water crisis, according to Thom Chisale, Chief Hospital Administrator at the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital.

In another development, Mzuzu City in northern Malawi is on the brink of facing a major water crisis if authorities do not take action to stop people from encroaching the Lunyangwa catchments area, which is the major source of water in the city.

Research conducted in the area indicates that the catchment area may soon dry up because communities surrounding the area continue cutting down the trees wantonly.

"If nothing is done soon, it may not take more than 8 years before the catchments area dries up and that will be disaster to the city residents," said the executive director of Rural Foundation for Afforestation (RUFA).