Request for Cooperation during joint Baseline Survey for MWSP-1 :: BWB requests cooperation from citizens in chosen areas for staff bearing identity cards from Hifa or New Dawn and an introduction letter from Blantyre Water Board as they collect data to be used in MWSP-1 project planning and implementation between November 2023 and April 2024 November 8, 2023      
Likhubula to Blantyre Water Supply System image

Likhubula to Blantyre Water Supply System

Blantyre Water Board, the Exim Bank of India and SMC Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd sign a USD 23.5 million contract for a New Water Supply System from Likhubula River in Mulanje to Blantyre Water Supply Area on 19th February 2017 at BWB Head office.
The signing ceremony of the contract for the realization of the New Water Supply System from Likhubula River in Mulanje to Blantyre Water Supply Area was held on 19th February 2017 at BWB Head office. The ceremony saw the participation and attendance of His Excellency Suresh Kumar Menon, High Commissioner of India to Malawi; James Naphambo, Board Chairperson of Blantyre Water Board; Philderia Moyo, Regional Water Officer for Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development and other delegates. The successful contractor for the project SMC Infrastructure Pvt Ltd is a company that specializes in water infrastructure works and has also embarked on such kind of projects in countries such as Tanzania, Ghana and Uganda among others within Africa. The contract has an expected value of USD 23.5 million and is being financed through the Indian Line of Credit (LOC) by Exim Bank of India. Once completed, this project is expected to produce an additional 20 million litres of water per day. More so, the project is expected to create new job opportunities as well as provide water to all areas in Limbe, Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), Nguludi and Chiradzulu areas. “We feel greatly honoured to have signed this contract in such a prestigious institutional context. This signing is the final outcome of several months of hard work. With this agreement, now we can embark on this project and be able to meet the current demand of water in readiness of other mega projects such the new water source from Shire River that will make us meet demand to the year 2040,” Henri Bakuwa, Ag. CEO of BWB commented. The project will take 20 months to be completed and at the moment the site has already been handed over to the contractor. The coming in of this project will ensure continuous water supply to Blantyre Water Supply area. The project will be able to reduce pumping costs in terms of electricity thereby saving the Board a lot of money, since for instance the Mulanje water supply system will be using gravitation to supply water to all areas. Blantyre Water Board also intends to embark on another new water source project along the Shire River. This planned project involves the construction of another water intake and treatment plant, which will be situated 4.3km upstream of the current Walkers Ferry water Intake point. The designs for this project were already finalized and the Board is in the process of securing funding. The Board is also in the process of intensifying drilling of Boreholes, which will supplement the current water sources. Currently the Board has already embarked on identification of sites for the boreholes and already four boreholes have been sunk and are operational in Lunzu area. The Board is also looking at regaining the capacity of Mudi Dam by dredging all the silt and debris that has reduced the dam capacity over the last twenty years. With all these projects in place, the Board is assured of providing water supply to Blantyre and surrounding areas for the next 50 years. All these projects are expected to improve efficiency of water supply as well as sustainability of supply as the above water sources are from reliable perennial rivers. The Board supplies about 96 million litres of water per day to its customers against a demand of about 105 million a day. The Board continues to do everything possible to make sure that it provides continuous water flow to the people of Blantyre and surrounding areas.