While confirming the development, BWB spokesperson Tamanda Longwe attributed the issue to the geographical positions of the affected areas.
As of Wednesday afternoon, most parts of the city such as Manja, Chiwembe, Nkolokosa, Bangwe, Ndirande, Maone, Namiyango had spent several days without running water.
Since last week some areas had been experiencing very low pressure while others have had their taps completely dry and in some areas taps had been running for few hours before going dry again.
The water crisis has also heavily affected operations in various sectors like the manufacturing and hospitality industries.
It's a technical issue, the mentioned areas will continue getting low pressure for sometime because of their geographical positions, said Longwe.
Meanwhile, Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA) has called for nationwide demonstrations to force the authorities to quickly rectify the problem.
CAMA urges the consumers in all the affected areas to march through their local leaders because its now a national issue That will be solidarity of the consumers, said CAMA Executive Director John Kapito.
Kapito also said the consumers must petition Blantyre Water Board and the responsible ministers and even the state president.
I am not sure if the state president is even aware of the situation, he wondered.
Kapito's call comes barely a few days after Malawi Confederation Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) Chief Executive Chancellor Kaferapanjira called on President Mutharika to fire Ministers of Irrigation and Water Development Sadik Mia and his counterpart Ted Kalebe of Energy and Mining.
Kaferanjira said if Mutharika cannot fire the two, then the best option for them is to resign honorably because they have failed the nation as confirmed by the on-going water crisis and continued power cuts which fall under their jurisdiction.
But in an interview with a local radio, the two ministers vowed never to resign saying the problem was not their making.
I don't think even if I resign today these problems would go, they have been there all along so I think its wrong for somebody to suggest that, he said.
Due to the persistent water crisis in the city, some residents have reportedly resorted to drilling boreholes within their homes as one way of dealing with the problem.
Water supply had been heavily interrupted the last two weeks due to the ongoing major maintenance works by ESCOM at their Nkula Power Station head pond.
ESCOM shut down Nkula A Power Station on 16th February 2009 following the damage of intake screens due to a heavy flow of trash and debris.
Maintenance works on Nkula A which supplies 24 Mega Watts started on 2nd March after an assessment exercise of the underwater damage conducted on 21st February revealed that twelve screens were dislodged of with six damaged beyond repair and that the steel beams that
support the screens were deformed, among others.
According to ESCOM spokesperson, Kitty Chimseu, the repair works will be done every Sunday and during the Easter holiday when demand is low so as to minimize the impact on customers and the public. It is expected the works will go on until mid next month.
Nyasa Times
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