BT City Council launches K1bn sanitation project

Blantyre City Council is geared to build and rehabilitate about 100 public toilets in the city to improve sanitation especially in markets and other public places.

Mayor Chalamanda: Sanitation
Mayor Chalamanda: Sanitation

The City’s Mayor Noel Chalamanda launched the sanitation project on Friday in Blantyre which is co-funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Department of International Development (DFID) to the tune of US$2 638 272 (About K1 billion).

The project would be implemented by a partnership of the Council, a non-governmental organisation called AYISES/Blantyre Waste Concern and the Netherlands based NGO WASTE.

Said Chalamanda; “I am delighted this morning to preside over the launch of this very important project which will transform the sanitation situation in our beautiful Blantyre City.”

He said the success of the three-year sanitation project would be based on good results achieved in managing market toilets, developing pit latrine emptying services, and in treating fecal sludge.

“It is noted that among the challenges facing Blantyre City to be addressed with this project are insufficient number of useable public toilets, many private and public toilets that are full of fecal sludge, overflowing toilets especially during the rainy season, collected fecal sludge being dumped haphazardly into the environment, pollution of rivers and streams and unhygienic and unhealthy living conditions,” he said.

He added: “We want Blantyre City to achieve the following results: a significant reduction of open defecation; the City’s population accessing clean public toilet in markets, bus stations and neighborhoods; residents that have access to pit emptying services that are safe and that offer value for money so that overflowing toilets no longer pollute neighborhoods and rivers a reduction in the illegal dumping of sewage by upgrading and increasing the number of sludge treatment sites and a reduction of sanitation related complaints to the Council.”

“To achieve the clean City by 2018, the Council with its partners would ensure that 100 public toilets have been upgraded or built and that it has entered into Service Level Agreements with service providers to operate and maintain these public toilets to acceptable standards based on user fees,” he further said.

Chalamanda said the Council would ensure that both public toilets and household latrines are usable and never full of sludge, as the City creates an enabling environment where the private sector purchases modern, hygienic and efficient latrine emptying equipment.

“It is will also upgrade five Fecal Sludge Management (Treatment/Disposal/Reuse) sites that would be operated under agreements with the private sector or semi-government organizations,” said the Mayor.

The project is designed in such a way that the investments in equipment and public toilets are shared between the Council and the private sector.

The investments by the project money are meant to kick start these investments since the Council has already significantly increased the 2015 budget allocation to improve sanitation in the City in order to fulfill its obligations

 

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
35 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Citizen X
Citizen X
8 years ago

Well done Mr Mayor. Word of advice blantyre is a growing city and it will keep growing til the end of time, so you city planners be wise, make long long term plans for our city and the most vital is the waste disposal plan. we need to build new under ground sewer system that will cater for a large city population and the time to do it is now, theres no rush do it in phases each year that is it SIMPLY. We need to look in to doing away with pitlatrine toilets in the city, leave that for… Read more »

Magang'a
Magang'a
8 years ago

Hey Give That Mayor A Bells!! Osati za awa aku LL chomwe iwo apangapo ndikuombera mmanja the “Bored kid” Davido.

Daniel Phiri
Daniel Phiri
9 years ago

Good move . Kandalama kangochepa. What we need is a revamped sewerage system to cater for flushing toilets osati pit latrines. These latrines pollute groundwater and shouldn’t be found in a city

sizwe
sizwe
9 years ago

Big up Nox that’s the way to go. Mnyamata osachitisa manyazi.

Zoona Mapuya
9 years ago

Don’t forget to rehabilitate parks in your next programme,pls remove vendors from streets and littering,urinating in public places offences should be enforced,Keep it up Bt Mayor.

Mr hidden Name
Mr hidden Name
9 years ago

Chalamanda timpatse aphatikizenso Lilongwe. He should be a mayor for the two cities. I’m domiciled in Lilongwe but I don’t even know the name of our mayor. He is a sleepy old fox. It’s not about age but leadership and contentment, when these guys go into their parlour, most of them loves the aircon, tea, comfortable chairs, the mayoral vehicle and the robes they wear. Zozionera ku ukulu!

M'dyanyama
M'dyanyama
8 years ago
Reply to  Mr hidden Name

The Lilongwe Mayor is a joke – he can’t even have grass cut in the city: The capital city looks like a bush, overgrown bush everywhere. I was shocked the other day when I drove past the British High Commission, which is a stone throw away from the civic offices. Terrorists could easily hide in the bush next to the high commission…

johnstone chimphentheka
johnstone chimphentheka
9 years ago

Ukubwera bo mfana! Me think you should be president! Mtima oti zinthu ziyende bwino uli nawo

Daud
Daud
9 years ago

Proud of you ‘our mayor’…..

Takalala Chisale
Takalala Chisale
9 years ago

Mayor uyu akuyesetsa. Osati zinazi

NDAFAKALE MPOMBA
9 years ago

CommentTHAT IS GOOD MOVE.GO AHEAD OUR MAYOR AND SHOW WHAT YOU CAN DELIVER AND MAKE YOUR HOSTORY

Read previous post:
Jealous man beats wife to death over ‘cheating’ suspicion

Malawi Police in Phalombe district on Friday arrested a 48 year-old man for allegedly beating his wife to death. According...

Close