14 Feb 2018

The sewerage line in the whole of Francistown has been designed and constructed in the middle of a block of flats at a distance of 1.5 metres from plot boundaries.

This was said by Minister of Land Management, Water and Sanitation Services, Mr Prince Maele when answering a question in Parliament on Tuesday.Minister Maele explained that in 2016 the Francistown City Council started implementation of the Building Control Regulation that amended the building setback from plot boundaries to 1.5 metres from the 2.5 metres that was initially allowed.

He said in instances where buildings run on top of sewerage lines, the affected person is given the option to revert to the original setback of 2.5 metres at the setting stage.

This, he said, discouraged the overlay of building over buried utility services like sewer lines as this might have a negative structural integrity impact during maintenance.

Francistown East MP, Mr Buti Billy had asked the minister if he was aware that sewerage lines at Selepa in Francistown East constituency passed through residential houses and that houses were built on top of sewerage lines.Mr Billy also wanted to know if this was not a health hazard and if so what remedial action was in place. Ends