By Steve Chirombo

Dedza, August 2, Mana: Residents around Dedza Boma have asked Central Region Water Board (CRWB) to quickly resolve the water crisis that has hit them for some days now, saying the situation is forcing them to drink from unprotected sources while others have resorted to buying water from the shops.

In random checks, some areas around Dedza Boma such as Airfield, Katsekaminga, Mabush, Nsambiro and Kachere, among others, have stayed for days, weeks and others over a month without water.

A resident of Katsekaminga, Harrison Misoya, said in an interview Thursday that the situation is bad as it is now five weeks without water and communities have now resorted to accessing the precious commodity from unprotected sources.

Misoya said, like others, they have been presenting their grievances through Dedza CRWB office but it has all been promises without any tangible action.

“There is now pressure especially in dambo areas where irrigation is taking place as communities have resorted to draw water from there and other unprotected sources. We are afraid of our lives,” he stated.

According to Misoya, they are surprised to receive exorbitant water bills when in actual sense their taps are running dry each passing day.

Another resident, Virginia Chimbaya, said as much as they understand the situation CRWB is in, they plead with the Board to seriously fulfill the rationing supply of water.

“We are not safe. For a big family, they are spending around K3,500 daily to buy 10 litres of drinking water from the shops. And now it is over a month since we had water,” she said.

Diana Dzinkambani, another resident within Airfield said they have now resorted to buying water from the shops but feels it’s temporal.

“Days back we could draw water around 9pm or wake up early in the morning but that is not the case now. Unfortunately, you cannot bath or wash kitchen utensils using water from the shops because it is costly,” she lamented.

Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA) President, John Kapito, said in an interview Thursday that scarcity of water is always a challenge which poses health risks to people.

“The only way to deal with this challenge is for the residents of Dedza to mobilize themselves and meet CRWB officials to discuss the matter and also find other alternatives of supplying water either using water bowsers for the period that there is no water,” Kapito said.

A recent press release from CRWB dated July 24, 2024, acknowledged the problem but attributed it to a drought experienced in the previous rainy season which, it said, affected most water sources.

“This has caused a stress in water supply regime due to reduced production. Currently, the board estimates that it is able to provide nonstop water supply to 64 percent of its customers while 27 percent are receiving water by rationing and the remaining nine percent have serious challenges in getting water supply mainly due to high location (low pressure areas) and disconnected meters,” stated the release.