A total of 438 boreholes were destroyed by the cyclone Freddy induced floods in the lower shire districts of Nsanje and Chikwawa leaving close to 87 000 house holds destitute in accessing clean and potable water, Zodiak has established.

Spokesperson for Nsanje district council, Robert Naeja has disclosed that a total of 325 boreholes were affected in the district rendering about 55,489 households stranded in accessing clean potable water with the areas of Traditional Authority Mlolo, Mbenje, Tengani and Malemia being the worst hit.

 

"Of the 325 boreholes affected, 21 were washed away while about 304 have been contaminated making the water not safe for human consumption.

 

 "This has left about 55,489 households stranded in  accessing the clean potable water as one borehole saves over 170 households," said Naeja. 

 

He said while the council with assistance from other partners has been repairing some broken boreholes, the council requires assistance in terms of resources and machinery to flash out the contaminated boreholes.

 

About 113 boreholes in the neighbouring district of Chikwawa were also affected by the cyclone Freddy with eight of them completely being washed away affecting about 28,250 households according to the district's Water and Sanitation Officer for the district,/Lester Nsunza.

 

Parliamentarian for Nsanje South West  Eurita Ntiza has echoed similar  sentiments saying majority of people in her area are struggling to access clean and potable water following the devastation effects of cyclone Freddy exposing them to various water borne  diseases.

 

Meanwhile,  group Managing director for Pacific limited, Faisal Aboo whose charitable organization, Pacific borehole rehabilitation project has been repairing  broken boreholes across the country says he intends to send a borehole rehabilitation team to establish the extent of damage in the two districts before embarking on a mass borehole maintenance programme in these areas.

 

Pacific Limited is the major player in the free borehole rehabilitation across Malawi with its footprint dating back to 2015 and has so far repaired over 7,000 boreholes.

 

Apart from boreholes ,the cyclone Freddy which hit most parts of the southern region early this year caused extensive infrastructure damage apart from washing away crop fields.