Maputo, 2 Apr (AIM) – The Mozambican Ministry of Public Works on Wednesday launched, in Maputo, a urban sanitation project, budgeted at 27 million dollars.
The project will cover Chimoio city, capital of the central province of Manica, and the cities of Lichinga and Cuamba, in the northern province of Niassa. The sum will be disbursed by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
According to Hélio Banze, permanent secretary of the Ministry, speaking during the launch event, the project, in its first phase, will only cover Chimoio and it will directly benefit 190,000 people.
“The project will also improve sanitation conditions, reduce the occurrence of water-borne diseases, promote greater social inclusion, and generate employment during the execution phase”, Banze said. “Chimoio’s current waste water management system is obsolete, as well as the water treatment plant among other components”.
He explained that of the 27 million dollars, around 20 million will be dedicated to the essential part of the infrastructure, the waste water treatment plant, the construction of a 76 kilometer network and two pumping stations.
For his part, Adamo Gonçalves, the representative of Chimoio Municipality, said that the project will generate more jobs for young people, providing a better quality of life for the residents of Chimoio.
AfDB representative, Patrícia Baptista, said that urban areas in Mozambique are expanding rapidly and one of the challenges is to guarantee adequate sanitation facilities to promote public health, environmental sustainability, sustainable development and socio-economic development.
“This project reflects our shared vision for a cleaner, healthier and more resilient urban environment, in line with Mozambique’s development strategy, such as the Millennium Development Goals. The project contributes directly to climate resilience by ensuring that sanitation systems are designed to withstand extreme weather events”, she said.
(AIM)
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