Hasten the water project

It we agree with the notion that water is life, then we should reach a consensus that quality water is a recipe for quality life.

It needs no rocket science to understand that poor sanitation and intermittent water supply are common challenges in the country. This is a result of inefficiencies in water boards, not to mention poor planning by the government.

Lilongwe, the country’s administrative capital, is a good example of what a capital should not look like in the world.

Some residents of the city would be angry if reminded that, just last year, they drank water contaminated with human excreta because of broken sewer pipes.

And the nuisance of having huge gallons for storing water because of uncertainty over when water taps may get wet, or run dry, is a pity too.

In a nutshell, we cannot burry our heads in the sand and pretend that there are no water woes in the country, let alone in Lilongwe City and Lilongwe District.

Probably, regardless of whose idea it was, the coming in of the Lilongwe Water Project is a blessing in disguise.

Costly as it may appear, the project is the immediate remedy to the prevalent water challenges facing most households in Lilongwe and surrounding districts.

Securing funds for the project is the government’s business. To Malawians, it is a social service they require.

However, our hope is that this would not cost the masses— be it presently, or in time to come — who are subjects of punitive tax measures of the land. We do not want a scenario where the taxpayer is made to pay when issues get to a stage where the only remedy is found in the courts.

Radical choices would have to be made now. The government, as the guarantor of the loan for the project, should now show its prowess.

While Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe touts a possible reduction in project costs, we believe that at the back of his mind also is the fact that market forces are still at play, and that, as time elapses, the cost may skyrocket.

We hope that the government would implement the project with not only speed but also accuracy.