Africa-Press – Angola. The current drinking water distribution network to the city of Menongue is being rehabilitated, in a financial investment of around three billion kwanzas, informed, Friday (15), the coordinator of the Installation Commission of the Public Water Company in Cuando Cubating.
Rodrigues Bongue Malengue said that the works will help to minimize problems in the water supply, due to the degradation of the old distribution network, due to lack of maintenance.
The works, he added, are being carried out by the company Prelundo, within the framework of the Integrated Plan for Intervention in Municipalities (PIIM), and include the replacement of most of the pipes and 46 inoperative valves, out of the 98 existing ones, in the entire network of distribution of Menongue, which prevented the proper distribution of water.
The first phase of the ongoing project, he explained, in addition to improving the water supply, will also allow 800 new household connections to be made in the Popular and Castilho districts, benefiting 10,000 new consumers.
In 2014, he stressed, Menongue gained a new collection plant, with the capacity to pump 11 million liters of drinking water per hour. “But, unfortunately, the non-completion of the project, associated with the poor state of the maintenance network, prevented the full functioning of the system, which only supplied consumers in the lower part of the city”.
With the end of the work in progress, he clarified, the supply of water to the populations will have to be done in an alternate way, due to the incapacity of the current abstraction system. “The capital of Cuando Cubango and the peripheral neighborhoods will only have a normal supply of water, when another collection and distribution center is built, with the capacity to pump 53,000 cubic meters per hour”, he clarified.
The Ministry of Energy and Water, he reinforced, has in its portfolio several projects for the improvement of the entire water production and distribution system, which will cover the Cazenga, Novo, Paz, Pio and Calupasa neighborhoods, which have never benefited from drinking water.
Currently, the populations residing in the urban area benefit from drinking water, including the neighborhoods Azul, Cunha, 23 de Março, Social da Juventude, Tucuve I and II Boa Vida, Boa Esperança, Saúde, Pandera, Missão Católica, Tomás and Saprinho.
High Debt
The public water company controls 5,630 customers, who from 2014 until today owe the state coffers more than 79 million kwanzas.
The debt, he said, includes some public companies and private customers. “Fulfillment of the monthly water payment has been a problem, despite the awareness actions, few care about the situation”.
He said that most of them evade obligations, but we need these amounts to keep the electromechanical equipment operational, acquire chemical reagents for water treatment, remunerate employees and collaborators, as well as for the maintenance of the system itself.
Customers, he added, should know that water consumption carries costs and regular payment is essential.
The rehabilitation and expansion works of the drinking water distribution network also include the installation of pre-paid meters, to help with the regular collection of services and avoid the evasion of obligations.
PIIM works
The works director of the company Prelundo, João Rego, said that the works to requalify the water distribution network in Menongue are nearing completion, with 65 percent of the work done.
The works began last April and were divided into two phases, with the first including works in the Popular and Castilho districts, estimated at 1.9 billion kwanzas and the second in the urban area, worth 1.5 billion kwanzas. billion kz.
“In the Popular and Castilho districts, all the work of laying the pipes has already been carried out, as well as the construction of spaces where the prepaid meters will be placed. period, in the opening of trenches for the application of pipes, replacement of damaged valves and rehabilitation of degraded equipment”, he explained.
This work, he assured, will also allow the construction of four new fountains in the districts of Castilho, Cavole, Cavaco, Victória and Tchigango, the latter three that will see the damaged fountains rehabilitated.
“By the end of the year, the works will be fully completed and before the month of February, scheduled for the delivery of the work, the inhabitants of Menongue will be using water regularly”, he said, adding that the work is being carried out made by 200 workers.
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