Water crisis hits Soche East residents, Montfort Campus

Residents of Soche East and surrounding areas in Malawi’s commercial capital Blantyre have now gone for four days without water, compromising sanitation and domestic chores.

Residents have expressed concern over the problem because they don’t have alternative sources.

“How can one maintain a self-contained house or keep his or her house clean, especially restrooms with dry taps?

“Blanyre Water Board officials do not even have the courtesy to communicate as to when they will resume water supply in the area,” said one resident, Beatrice Mandabwe.

While James Samalani requested the utility body to send water browsers so that “we can have water at least for cooking and other important chores”.

Likewise, residents and students at Montfort campus in Nguludi, Chiradzulu district have gone for three weeks without water.

Students are now getting solace from a borehole and Chisombezi River for for bathing and washing.

But the Blantyre Water Board (BWB) has attributed water problem at Montfort to a “series of theft of pipes’ in the area.

Unknown criminals allegedly stolen galvanized water pipes that lied along the Chisombezi River.

The pipes supply water from Blantyre to the campus comprising Catholic University, Montfort Special Needs College, Centre for the Blind and Montfort Demonstration School.

According to BWB spokesperson, Priscilla Mateyu, the utility body doesn’t have such pipes in stock, hence the delay to replace them.

“After they stole the first lot, we replaced them, but just four days later they stole the new ones again,” said Mateyu, figuring that five pipes of six meters each and costing K350,000 were stolen.

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