Water crisis: Refunsa residents drinking contaminated water

Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) Rufunsa  Member of Parliament, Kenneth Chipungu, has bemoaned the erratic supply of safe drinking water in his constituency.

Mr Chipungu, who is also MMD chairman for elections, said people in his constituency are subjected to drinking contaminated water due to inadequate rains which affected the area during the 2012 and 2013 rainy seasons.

He told ZANIS in an interview in Lusaka that dry spells contributed to drying of some bore holes which were sunk in Chipindani, Sema and Chishota villages in the newly created Rufunsa district.

The MP noted that the dependable Kayindu River has dried out, forcing the people in the area to fetch water from contaminated wells which are not fit for human consumption.

And Mr Chipungu has appealed to government to quickly come to the rescue of the people of Rufunsa in supplying them with safe drinking water.

Mr Chipungu stated that it is the responsibility of the government to assist its citizens in times of need when their lives are threatened with calamities of different kinds in nature.

He said people in his constituency are in dire need of safe drinking water as well as relief food due to dry spells which engulfed the area for the two consecutive rainy seasons.

Meanwhile, Mr Chipungu said part of the 2013 Constituency Development Funds (CDF) would go towards the purchasing of Motor drilling machines for the sinking of more boreholes in selected parts of Rufunsa.

Mr Chipungu expressed hope that once this is done, the water blues, which have rocked his area, would be a thing of the past.