The Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has rehabilitated and handed over ten public hand pumps to ten communities in Chilanga District under the disaster response programme being implemented in Chilanga and Chirundu districts.
Speaking during the official handover of the hand pumps to the communities, Chilanga Acting District Commissioner Maureen Chilende urged the residents to safeguard the hand pumps in order to sustain the water facilities in their areas.
Ms Chilende indicated that ten communities from selected wards, including Chilanga Ward, Mount Makulu Ward, Kasupe Ward, Mondengwa Ward and Nyemba Ward, among others, are some of the benefiting wards of the disaster response programme by CRS in Chilanga district.
She noted that the government is collaborating with various stakeholders such as CRS to ensure that vulnerable communities are supplied with clean and safe water.
“The government, is working closely with various organisations to ensure that vulnerable communities are provided with clean water,” stated Ms Chilende.
CRS Field Assistant Officer Sarah Mwanza pointed out that the public borehole rehabilitation project is part of the Disaster Response Programme being implemented in Chilanga district.
Ms Mwanza indicated that the project aims at preventing any possible outbreak of diarrhea in communities facing water challenges.
“This water has been tested with chlorine. We can assure you that it is safe for drinking, and we hope it will assist the residents in thriving in various daily activities, as water is life,” she said.
Meanwhile, Mount Makulu Health Post Sister-in-Charge, Nelly Muzyamba, expressed gratitude to CRS for rehabilitating a borehole at the health facility.
Ms Muzyamba said that the borehole had not been functioning for eight years, stressing that it had been a challenge for health workers to access clean water.
“This borehole will serve not only the health facility but also the nearby community, as access to clean water has been a challenge for most residents here in Mount Makulu,” she said.
