Member of Parliament for Phalombe North Constituency Mavuto Bokosi has urged people in the country to take care of boreholes.
Bokosi was speaking this after Pacific Limited Company embarked on a multimillion Kwacha project which aims at rehabilitating over 60 non-functional boreholes in Phalombe, his constituency inclusive.
The lawmaker appealed to people in his area and the country at large, to stop vandalizing boreholes claiming having too many non-functional boreholes, puts Malawi at an extreme risk of social and economic challenges.
He further explained that caring for boreholes should be a responsibility of every Malawian and he later commended Pacific Limited Company for the project which he said will benefit so many Malawian nationals.
“It is very sad that some ill-minded people are stealing borehole equipments that have been drilled or rehabilitated. This is affecting a number of development activities in our areas as water is life and this should stop immediately.
“As one way of extending the life span of these rehabilitated boreholes in our area, we have agreed that each and every one of us should take responsibility of guarding the boreholes and this should also extend to other areas nationwide because this is a lifeline project we have never had before,” said Bokosi.
The legislator further indicated that the project will improve challenges people used to face in searching for clean and safe water in his constituency, saying hours which were spent in searching for portable water, will be used on other developmental activities.
According to Area Development Committee (ADC) Chairperson, Handson Mambulasa, for the past years, the district has been registering more cases of waterborne disease and has described the project as timely.
Pacific Limited founder Faizal Aboo, however said he is very much concerned with growing reports of people stealing borehole equipments in other areas where the similar project was done and he has asked authorities to implement measure of dealing with the vice.
“As Pacific Limited, we are very much concerned about vandalism of community boreholes. It is important that communities must do community policing to prevent future vandalism.
“I would like to push chiefs to create committees of at least six people in every area where there is a borehole. Those people should learn how to fix boreholes, look after them and should be collecting a small fund for eventualities,” explained Aboo.
Since last year, Pacific Limited Company has rehabilitated over 6, 000 broken boreholes in over 40 constituencies across the country.
