Government envisages that the introduction of the Borehole levy will see strict monitoring of drillers by the Water Resources Management Authority.

Minister of Water, Environment and Sanitation Dr. Dennis Wanchinga says this will in turn reduce cheating and unprofessionalism in the drilling industry.

Dr. Wanchinga says his Ministry is in receipt of several complaints from residents over poorly done work by drillers that have in many instances resulted in collapsing of boreholes after a short period of time.

‘’We shall not allow Zambians to continuously lose colossal sums of money to drillers over their unsatisfactory work. Time has come for drillers to ensure that they stick to laid down procedures of drilling boreholes,” he said.

Dr. Wanchinga has expressed concern that some people wanted to gain political mileage by inciting Zambians to rise against government over the recently approved levy.

He was speaking in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia when he transited to India to attend a Sanitation Conference at the invitation of the Indian government.

And Dr. Wanchinga says Zambia has heightened its preparedness to curb the recurrence of Cholera and other diarrheal diseases this year.

He says government has put in place mechanisms to ensure that Cholera does not become a perennial disease in Zambia.

He says government will ensure that it provides water through bulzers in areas where there are shallow wells in order to discourage people from taking contaminated water.

Dr. Wanchinga also said the programme of eliminating the use of pit latrines was one that could help increase sanitation levels in the country.

‘’It’s unfortunate that most pit latrines are built near boreholes and wells, hence government’s plan of burying shallow wells and providing clean water.

He has further revealed that the country’s National Access to Sanitation stands at 39 percent.
Dr. Wanchinga says Zambia has a lot to learn from India whose National Access to Sanitation stands at 88 percent.

He was received at Bole International Airport by Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia, Susan Sikaneta who commended government’s efforts in improving access to water and sanitationThis is contained in a statement issued to Money FM News by Zambia Embassy, Ethiopia First Secretary Inutu Mwanza.