The Ministry of Water and Sanitation says it has drilled at least 366 boreholes across the country after undertaking a number of projects aimed of providing better sanitation services to communities.

Minister of Water and Sanitation Abida Mia said this in Parliament on Friday when she presented a ministerial statement on the current status of the water and sanitation sector.

Mia: We want to provide better services

She informed the House that 154 boreholes have been drilled in 12 districts under a World Bank-funded project known as Malawi Resilience and Disaster Management Project.

The districts include Ntcheu, Zomba, Balaka, Thyolo, Neno, Mwanza, Mangochi, Dedza, Chiradzulu, Blantyre, Machinga and Nsanje.

According to Mia, another 186 out of 200 boreholes have also been drilled under Post Cyclone Idai Emergency Recovery and Resilience Project with 60 boreholes drilled in Nsanje, 50 in Chikwawa, 50 in Zomba, 20 in Mulanje, and 20 in Phalombe.

She said: “You may also wish to note that my ministry with financing from the African Development Bank has also been implementing the Sustainable Rural Water Infrastructure for Improved Health and Livelihood.

“The project seeks to increase the resilience of water supply systems through rehabilitation and expansion, and address sanitation and hygiene challenges in five districts of Rumphi, Nkhotakota, Ntcheu, Mangochi and Phalombe.”

The minister indicated that the project has so far benefited 516 000 families and created over 6 760 jobs. In his contribution, Zomba Ntonya legislator Ned Poya, who is also leader of United Democratic Front in the House, said there is need to consult research teams in universities to come up with better designs of boreholes and toilets for durability.

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