Lilongwe drying up?

In earlier entries in this blog I have reflected around the food situation in the country.  Estimated 6.5 million people will be in need of food assistance during the next lean season up til April 2017.  Lack of timely rains is the main reason why crops failed and people are left with less than needed food. Most of the food needs are found in the rural areas, not least in the southern part of the country.

The urban areas are faced with other challenges related to the low water levels.  Electricity is in short supply, and this is mostly impacting cities, towns and industries that are depending on electricity to make things go around.  Long spells with power cuts make refrigerators and freezers redundant, and perishable food cannot be kept properly preserved, businesses either have to invest in major generator sets or bring activities to a stand-still... with serious economic consequences.  An economy that is ailing at the outset is doubly hit when the water level prevent hydro power turbines from normal functioning.  As ever, we represent the privileged minority with a battery back-up system that keeps essential house equipment and light running for quite some hours.

Perhaps worse is the long hours without water.  I have been told that the Lilongwe Water Board cannot predict how long the main reservoir, Kamuzu Dam, can provide water to the city.

Kamuzu Dam, as it should be... but now it runs dry

Water shedding is a necessary move to prolong the period with at least some water from the tap. Chances are that Lilongwe city is drying up during the next one or few months.  Without water households, offices and businesses will be left in critical situations.  We already receive visitors from the neighbouring village who come with their empty containers and ask for water from our tap by the gate.  What if our tap dries up permanently?

Visitors from neighbouring Kauma Village fetching water from the tap by our gate

We live in a house and property that is owned by NCA, and therefore we have thought of measures to rescue the situation.  The answer is to drill a borehole and sink a solar panel run submersible pump. The existing elevated tank will be a useful reservoir that may provide continuous running water.  The problem will obviously also hit our office, and not least our staff colleagues.  Therefore we plan to mount a water tank on the NCA trailer and bring water from our house to the office.  This will rescue the office situation, and staff colleagues may bring their containers and bring home minimum quanta of water to their households.

The water tank in our back yard saves us from dry taps so far

The solution should be good for us, NCA office and our staff colleagues... because NCA has money to invest in a borehole.  What about the thousands of city dwellers without this opportunity to take precautionary measures.  Lilongwe Water Board is so far silent, and the City Council has not come out with proper information or contingency plans.  We are entering a critical period on many fronts.