Over 60 smallholder farmers in Luanshya district Copperbelt province are demanding compensation from China National Complete Engineering, the contractor working on the Kafulafuta dam.
The farmers want compensation from the Chinese firm for disturbing their farming activities and livelihoods.
But in a statement issued to Money FM Kafubu Water and Sewerage Company Planning and Development Manager Paul Billima says it is not every farmer who will be compensated but only those with fields affected as a consequence of the multi-million-dollar project.
Mr. Billima said the small holder farmers were assured that the contractor will not go ahead with the works until experts from the Ministry of Agriculture are engaged to do the evaluation process.
The US $449 million Kafulafuta dam, which is a government funded project through a loan secured from Exim Bank of China, is expected to improve water supply in the four towns of Luanshya, Ndola, Masaiti and Mpongwe once complete.
Kafulafuta dam will hold 123 million m3. It will be capable of generating 300,000 m3 of water every day.
Construction works of the 450 million U.S. dollars Kafulafuta Dam was commissioned in October last year by President Edgar Lungu.