DR. BANDA ARRIVING: TOURING ARTIFICIAL LAKE IN BOAT AND OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY.




Initials AA/V-S/JF/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE LARGEST CROWD EVER SEEN IN LILONGWE, IN MALAWI'S CENTRAL REGION, COLLECTED LAST MONTH TO CHEER DR KAMAZU BANDA, THE PRIME MINISTER OF MALAWI WHO BECOMES PRESIDENT ON JULY 6TH. DR. BANDA WAS TOURING THE CENTRAL REGION AND ONE OF HIS IMPORTANT ENGAGEMENTS WAS THE OPENING OF THE KAMAZU DAM AT MALINGUNDE.

THE KAMAZU DAM IS THE LARGEST MAN-MADE IN MALAWI AND IT HAS SUFFICIENT STORAGE TO COPE WITH THE NEEDS OF LILONGWE AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. THE DAM BASIN HOLDS APPROXIMATELY 2,500 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER.

AFTER TOURING THE DAM BASIN IN A MOTOR-BOAT, THE PRESIDENT DESIGNATE SAID HE WAS GREATLY IMPRESSED BY THE DAM, PARTICULARLY AS IT WAS SITED AT LILONGWE WHICH IS TO BECOME THE NEW CAPITAL OF MALAWI. DR. BANDA TOLD THE 10,000 STRONG CROWD, "I DO NOT KNOW WHEN OR HOW WE WILL GET THE MONEY, BUT IT WILL BE BUILT."
WORK ON THE GBP156,000 DAM STARTED 18 MONTHS AGO, FINANCED BY BRITAIN'S COMMONWEALTH DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

THE 56 FEET (17 METRES) HIGH AND 320 FEET (97 METRES) WIDE CONCRETE AND STEEL REINFORCED DAM WALL HOLDS BACK SOME 2,500 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER AND CAN SUPPLY LILONGWE WITH A MINIMUM OF 2 MILLION GALLONS A DAY -- FIVE TIMES THE TOWN'S PRESENT NEEDS.

ACCORDING TO ENGINEERS IN CHARGE OF THE PROJECT, THE DAM WALL COULD BE RAISED GIVING GREATLY INCREASED CAPACITY AND ENABLING ABOUT 1,000 ACRES TO BE PUT UNDER IRRIGITION FOR ALL THE YEAR ROUND CROPS. THE SOIL IN THE AREA HAS BEEN ANALYSED, AND IT IS THOUGHT THAT WINTER WHEAT AND BARLEY COULD EASILY BE GROWN IN THE AREA.