The Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources launched the 27 million dollar sanitation, drainage and solid waste management project in Maputo yesterday (02) for the cities of Chimoio, Lichinga and Cuamba, in the provinces of Manica and Niassa.

According to the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, Hélio Banze, quoted in an AIM publication, the inclusive urban sanitation project in Chimoio will directly affect 190,000 people.

The project is expected to improve sanitation conditions, reduce the occurrence of water-borne diseases, promote greater social inclusion, generate employment during the execution phase and other benefits.

"Chimoio's current wastewater management system is obsolete, the sewage network as well as the water treatment plant among other components," he said at the launch.

The source also said that of the 27 million, around 20 million will be dedicated to the essential part of the infrastructure, the wastewater treatment plant, the construction of a 76-kilometer network and two pumping stations.

The project also aims to build the wastewater treatment plant, sewage network and toilets in order to strengthen the capacity of Chimoio's autonomous municipal services. Currently, national urban sanitation coverage stands at 54.6%.

The representative of the Mayor of the City of Chimoio, Adamo Raimo Gonçalves, stressed that the project would boost the population of Manica province, particularly the city of Chimoio.

"In the spirit and object of municipal development let me say that Chimoio will have a windfall, as the project will generate more jobs for young people, in turn providing a better quality of life for the residents of Chimoio," he was quoted as saying in the publication.

The AfDB representative, Patrícia Baptista, said that urban areas in Mozambique are expanding rapidly and one of the challenges is to guarantee adequate sanitation infrastructures 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," he said.

The project contributes directly to climate resilience by ensuring that sanitation systems are designed to withstand extreme weather events.