Chitimba Community soon to enjoy clean water

Communities surrounding Chitimba in Rumphi have raised concerns about the lack of clean water, which puts residents at risk of contracting waterborne diseases.

This was revealed by Grave Gondwe, Chairperson of the Chitimba Water Users Association, who spoke to journalists on Tuesday while touring the area where the Rumphi District Council, with support from the LIFE AR project, is tapping water from the mountain to supply the community.

“Currently, most people get water directly from the lake, which is risky, especially as the area was previously hit hard by cholera,” Gondwe said.

Frank Mfune, Director of Planning and Development at Rumphi District Council, said the arrival of the LIFE AR project has been a relief, as the council has struggled to secure resources to improve access to potable water.

“As a council, we started looking for solutions for the Chitimba community in 2020. We identified a spring called ‘Holy Water’ on Livingstonia Mountain as a potential source, but we lacked financing,” Mfune explained.

Gift Nyirenda, LIFE AR project desk officer at Rumphi District Council, said residents are expected to start accessing potable water before the end of October this year.

The Least Developed Countries Initiative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience (LIFE AR) project is being implemented in three districts—Mangochi, Salima, and Rumphi—to support communities affected by the impacts of climate change.