Thieves have vandalized main water supply pipes at Mlunguzu Dam where the southern region water board taps water for distribution in Zomba city thereby paralyzing the operations in the city. Life has come at a standstill and it appears a fertile environmental for water bone diseases has been created.
Director of Operations at Southern Region Water Board (SRWB) Tisungane Kapalamula has says maintenance works will take four days to finish since Friday May 26.
At the University of Malawi, the situation has forced the students to answer the call of nature in the nearby bush as water run toilets are in a state of disuse.
One of the students residing on Campus, Virginia Kajoloweka, told the local media that students are walking a distance of about 500 meters down to Chikanda Ghetto for them to answer the call of nature in pit latrines therein.
“The vandalism of Water Board’s pipes have perturbed us students. Can you imagine that we have started going to Chikanda to use pit latrines because these technologically advanced toilets cannot work because of unavailability of water! Instead of studying we are busy going to Chikanda to relieve ourselves,” Said Kajoloweka.
Kajoloweka has called the administration to think of constructing pit latrines across the campus to cater for the emergency situations like these.
As if that is not enough, the students both on campus and off campus are now using the nearby Mulunguzi River to source water while others are taking a bath therein.
University of Malawi Director of Students Affairs Dr Jonas Mwatseteza has however cautioned the students against using such unclean water urging the students to be vigilant as waterborne diseases may sprout.
