Northern Region Water Board (NRWB) has appealed for chiefs' support during the implementation of the K19.4 billion Water Supply Project set to benefit rural and urban communities.

The water plant in Karonga

Briefing the district executive committee (DEC) on Tuesday, NRWB assistant community mobilisation and training officer Jean Silumbu said chiefs are important stakeholders; hence, their participation is beneficial to the project.

"Chiefs are the custodians of the communities. They know the challenges communities are facing, including lack of potable water and we are hopeful that they will help us complete the project.

"The projects will involve digging the ground where main pipes will pass and this might affect people's crops. We will make sure that compensation is paid accordingly and we will rely on chiefs on that," she said.

Silumbu asked chiefs to take an active role in sensitising people to the project to encourage ownership.

The board's infrastructure and planning manager, Edward Chirambo said the $26.7 million (about K19.4 billion) project is expected to improve access to potable water to 108 000 people around the boma and surrounding communities.

He said the US $26.7 million (about K19.4 billion) is being funded by Opec Fund for International Development (Ofid) and Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (Badea).

Currently, the board is supplying water to 46 000 people around the Boma and surrounding communities.