The drainage system in Mazyopa settlement area of Lusaka is about to be resuscitated as Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Zambia has signed a US$17.2 million contract with a Portuguese company to construct and rehabilitate drainage system.

The Portuguese contractor, Construcoes Gabriel AS Couto, has been engaged to rehabilitate 2.6 kilometres of drainage in Mazyopa.

The works were part of the $355 million Millennium Challenge Corporation's Lusaka Water Supply, Sanitation and Drainage (LWSSD) project funded by the US government.

The signing took place at the MCA offices in Lusaka yesterday.

He said once rehabilitation of the Bombay drainage was complete, the increased volume of water would be able to flow downstream, thereby reducing flooding in the City and other areas but increase flooding in Mazyopa which was located downstream.

Mr Yamba said hence there was need to put up proper drainage in Mazyopa even though it was not part of the original design under the LWSSD project.

"The MCA Zambia expects high quality works from Gabriel AS Couto. The work should showcase what you, the contractor can do," he said.

US Ambassador to Zambia Eric Schultz said signing of the contract marked yet another milestone in the project.

Mr Schultz said construction of the Mazyopa drainage was evidence that the project was progressing well.

He said the LWSSD was a sign of growing bilateral relations between the US and Zambia.

Contrucoes Gabriel AS Couto engineer-in-charge of the project, Couto Tiago Rito said the Mazyopa project was next to other projects the company had undertaken in Africa.

Mr Rito said it was an honour to work in Zambia and that the company would rely on its expertise in constructing drainages to deliver the best.

The Portuguese company had operated in Africa since 1997 and had about 700 employees worldwide.

Lusaka Mayor George Nyendwa said he was happy that Mazyopa residents would be given relief from floods because of the contract.

"The council encourages partnerships such as this one. I am happy that the project will also work on solid waste management which helps prevent blocked drainages," Mr Nyendwa said.