The Water Resource Management Authority (WARMA) has collected over K2 million from the 10,106 boreholes it has registered so far.  And the authority has extended the deadline for the ongoing registration of boreholes from September 30 this year to March 31,2019. WARMA acting director general Lemmy Namayanga said at a media briefing yesterday that the authority has licensed 93 drilling companies. Mr Namayanga said the K250 registration fee is not meant to exploit Zambians but to make it easy for the authority to effectively manage the resource for sustainable socio-economic benefits.

“We received about 5,152 applications to drill boreholes, of which 15 were rejected. These statistics cover the current national status of the borehole registration exercise which started early this month,” he said.

He commended the public for complying with the legal provision on the regulation of ground water. And Mr Namayanga said the extension of the deadline has been necessitated by the response from members of the public. He said the extension only affects registration of boreholes that were drilled before the start of the exercise. He said those intending to drill boreholes should seek authority from WARMA.

Mr Namayanga warned of stem action against people who will be found drilling boreholes illegally. He said the authority is also working on measures to facilitate easy registration and inspection of boreholes.

And Ministry of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection Permanent Secretary Ed Chomba said the K250 is not a tax but a one-off payment meant to help WARMA manage the boreholes. Bishop Chomba said some unregistered boreholes were a source of ground water contamination. He said WARMA will soon start sending inspectors to check on the boreholes and ensure that the public get value for their money from drilling companies.

“We will not allow cheating, we want people to get value for their money,” he said.
Bishop Chomba said there is need to ensure that water is protected for future generations in accordance with the country’s laws.