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Monday 09:00 - 17:00 Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00 Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00 Thursday 09:00 - 17:00 Friday 09:00 - 17:00

NGM Consulting Engineers LtD, Plot No. 202, House No. 9, Lechwe Park, Ibex Hill, Kalulushi (2026)

Name: NGM Consulting Engineers LtD
Address: Plot No. 202, House No. 9, Lechwe Park, Ibex Hill, Kalulushi, 10101, ZM
Telephone: +260971503011

NGM Consulting Engineers Ltd is a wholly owned Zambian Company which was established originally in England and Wales under the name NGM Bro Ltd but moved to Zambia and was incorporated on the 17th of September 2012. We are able to engage professional expert personnel within and outside of the country on contract when we have specialised works in our line of business. The company’s main line of bus

iness is design and construction supervision of civil infrastructure which includes water and wastewater supply, dams, roads, Building and Mechanical/Electrical projects. NGM Consulting Engineers are also involved in underground water monitoring, river modelling, water network modelling, GIS build, surveying with drones, Digital Terrain Modeling and structural designs. In the past 6 years since establishment the company has worked on road and water projects within Zambia with Copperfields Mining Services on the Pedicle Road and as a sub-consultant for Gauff Consulting Engineers on the Design and Construction Supervision of the Nkana Water Supply and sanitation Project. We have also independently worked on the feasibility studies for Mulonga Water during the Konkola Kasumbalesa Project. While in the UK operating as NGM Bro before relocating to Zambia, we worked on various water projects in England and Scotland. The company is also able to partner with other major consultants in the execution of major works due to international exposure.

19/02/2024

No rains means do not sell your Carbon Credits

They polluted and now we have all witnessed the devastating impacts of Climate Change! Don't sell your Carbon Credits or permit polluters like the UAE to buy emissions allowances. Instead, the government should insist on Climate Finance which the polluters promised to give, so that we can use those funds to mitigate this.

Africa, contributing only 4% of global emissions, is now disproportionately bearing the brunt of climate change effects. Instead of delivering the promised Climate Finance for our efforts to curb pollution, we're offered Carbon Credits that effectively endorse pollution. These solar plants are not for our electricity but for Carbon Credits.

Developed nations, the primary polluters, pledged to aid developing countries in climate action, acknowledging their historical responsibility. However, driven by greed, they devised the scheme of purchasing credits, diverting over 50% of the funds away from crucial climate initiatives.

04/01/2024

The Great Stink of 1858 UK is now in Zambia in 2024

Looking at what happens in Zambia during rainy seasons with the constant outbreaks of diseases like Cholera, it's important to demystify misconceptions surrounding sewerage systems and their vital role in safeguarding public health. Let us stop relying on retired European Civil Servants from Danida, GIZ, UK Aid e.t.c to work on our water and sewer systems because no one else cleaned up their cities but themselves. In an era with Green Technology and Green Projects attracting better funding, we should not leave this billion-dollar work to outsiders because of ignorance.

London is relatively cleaner because a long time ago, they noticed after the Great Stink of 1858, that the River Thames was an open sewer, with disastrous consequences for the public, including cholera epidemics the same as we are having it here. They realized the urgency of the problem and resolved to create a modern sewerage system with Joseph Bazalgette, a civil engineer and Chief Designer. He used water to continuously clean up the city and he over-designed the system to last by starting with six main interceptor sewers, totaling almost 160 km in length.

Kuno they will laugh at someone working on or pushing for a sewer project and I still cannot get it, to this day why anyone would do that. One of the first things you look out for when you enter a hotel is the state of their bathrooms and I have yet to meet someone who would demand for a pit latrine in a hotel like the Burj Khalifa for instance.

But you will find this attitude even among our politicians or senior citizens who would equate Sewerage with feaces and constantly lampoon those working on this infrastructure. Sewerage is the infrastructure that takes away the sewer from the city and it is shameful to see Members of Parliament drive expensive vehicles passing leaking sewer along Thabo Mbeki Road to get to Parliament Motel completely unconcerned. The Great Stink that brought about the London Sewer System was an Act of Parliament of the UK.

Lusaka recently hosted the 3rd International Conference on Public Health in Africa (CPHIA 2023), drawing significant attendance primarily from international delegates rather than locals. Surprisingly, the participation fee soared as high as $2000, posing a considerable barrier to local engagement. In my attempt to gain access to the conference, I faced dismissal from an MP who disregarded my profession as a Civil Engineer specializing in water and sanitation, referring to it disrespectfully as mere feaces engineering and suggesting I had no relevance to a Public Health conference. I asked the man to apologize twice and I am still waiting for it. A very good friend but dreadfully misguided on the issue like many Zambians. I am particularly hard on him because I would want him to go far in his politics and not carry the same mindset to the top.

While it's easy to carelessly equate sewerage with the mere waste, distinguishing between the two is very important for people to understand the profound impact of a well-designed system on preventing pandemics and tracing contamination sources. Our sewerage systems receive a wide array of discharges, encompassing not just household waste but also substances like contraceptives, diapers, pharmaceuticals such as ARVs, illicit drugs like Co***ne, and various chemicals and it is dangerous to continue discharging all these into the ground through soakways. There is constant Change of Land use with some houses now being turned into High Rise multi-story structures and we cannot continue discharging the same effluent in infrastructure that was designed for household load.

The waste coming from these structures needs to enter the city's sewer networks through different pathways, and the intricately designed system of conduits should safely collect and channel these diverse discharges to a treatment plant to be safely disposed of.

The design and functionality of modern sewerage systems allow for the effective containment and transportation of these substances. Interestingly, the controlled movement within these systems can enable epidemiologists to trace the source of certain elements. This tracing capability can be particularly valuable in understanding public health trends and environmental impacts associated with the substances discharged into the sewerage infrastructure.

Sewerage systems are more than conduits for waste disposal; they are an intricate network of open channels designed to manage, transport, and treat liquid waste efficiently. It is very important to recognize that the sewerage system encompasses various elements beyond human waste, including greywater, industrial effluents, and stormwater. The Green Economy actually centers around cleaning your own environment and the following are some examples of Green Jobs that have been done with properly designed sewerage systems.

Greywater Recycling in Urban Settings:

Singapore's NEWater Program employs advanced water treatment technologies to recycle greywater and transform it into high-grade reclaimed water called NEWater. This reclaimed water is utilized for industrial and potable purposes, reducing reliance on freshwater sources and ensuring water security in a water-stressed region.

Industrial Effluents for Renewable Energy:

Anaerobic Digestion in Germany and Several industrial facilities utilize anaerobic digestion to treat organic industrial effluents. This process not only cleanses the effluents but also produces biogas, a renewable energy source. Biogas generated from wastewater treatment plants and industrial effluents helps offset fossil fuel usage, contributing to a sustainable energy mix.

Stormwater Management for Urban Resilience:

Philadelphia's Green City, Clean Waters Initiative: Philadelphia employs green infrastructure techniques to manage stormwater effectively. This initiative integrates rain gardens, green roofs, and permeable pavements to absorb and treat stormwater runoff. By reducing stormwater entering the sewer system, this project mitigates urban flooding, improves water quality, and enhances urban resilience against climate change impacts.

Human Waste Utilization in Agricultural Practices:

EcoSan Toilets in Sweden employs a sustainable sanitation approach that converts human waste into nutrient-rich compost. This compost serves as organic fertilizer for agricultural purposes. It closes the nutrient loop, reduces chemical fertilizer dependency, and promotes sustainable farming practices.

Biomass from Organic Waste for Energy Production:

Biogas from Organic Waste in India which utilizes organic waste, including agricultural residues and food waste, in biogas plants. These plants employ anaerobic digestion to convert organic waste into biogas for cooking, heating, and electricity generation. Biogas production not only manages waste but also provides renewable energy, contributing to climate change mitigation.

All these examples above can be an exciting approach that can be adopted right here in Zambia so that we can get our young engineers interested in Green Projects that can help clean up their environment. These Cholera outbreaks are often linked to contaminated water sources, where people are building soak-aways because there are no properly designed sewer systems. The discharge into the ground contaminates the underground water where most of the residents are now getting their drinking water from. When effluents infiltrate water supplies due to system failures, it sets the stage for cholera and other waterborne illnesses to wreak havoc.

Designing for Prevention and Tracing

A properly designed sewerage system is a frontline defense against cholera outbreaks and a good training ground for young engineers especially when there is a major water project. It not only ensures effective waste disposal but also aids in tracing contamination sources as mentioned earlier, pivotal for epidemic control. Advanced technologies like Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and telemetry-based software are now being used in the design, monitoring, and maintenance of modern treatment processes that you do not need to see all that effluent on our roads. Telemetry-based software is already being used by ZESCO and they just call this one SCADA.

So instead of MPs living and drinking next door to blocked sewers along Thabo Mbeki Road that will end up contaminating groundwater in nearby lodges and shops at East Park, they should be the first ones advocating for a better sewerage system for Lusaka and Zambia, because, like the British MPs in 1856, this is their Great Stink! Otherwise, the cholera issue will be an annual traditional ceremony.

08/12/2023

Ndola Dual Carriageway Concrete

When supervising contractors, I often reserve praise until the completion of their work. While there's merit in acknowledging progress, premature applause can be misleading. Take, for instance, the Ndola-Lusaka Dual Carriageway project where early commendations are drawn merely from the thickness of the concrete, a superficial marker. Contracts include defects and liability clauses precisely because perfection isn't guaranteed even after the contract is done and we are talking about a road that should last more than 20 years.

The Performance Guarantee, Advance Payment Guarantee, Defects and Liability Period, and retention fee, are safeguards retained to account for potential repairs or adjustments necessary during and post-completion. I am sure if it was a Zambian contractor, the opposite of praise would have happened but I think it is prudent to wait for the project conclusion before drawing definitive conclusions on its quality and durability.

Let us look at the curing of the same concrete for instance on the same road. This is one of the widely overlooked aspects of Civil Engineering which determines the strength of materials and not just the mere thickness. Wood if properly cured is used in holding heavy structures including in underground mining. Concrete strength is not so much about its thickness or reinforcement but the critical aspect lies in the well-calculated mix design and the subsequent curing process. Have you seen concrete that has crumbled with reinforcement bars showing?

Concrete is made by combining cement, water, aggregates (such as sand or gravel), and often additional admixtures or additives in an exothermic reaction, meaning it releases heat. The process typically starts with the mixing of cement and water to create a paste the way you see workers do it with shovels. This paste is then blended with the aggregates until a homogenous mixture forms. To stop the original water that was used when mixing from escaping and to make the reaction between cement and water continue, you must cure the concrete for 28 days. Then your thickness, reinforcement, and mix design will make sense.

Various ratio components determine the concrete's properties, such as strength and workability. You have Low Water-Cement Ratio Mixes and you mix the Cement, Sand, and aggregates the same way the cook will measure the ingredients. You can have nice-looking food that has a lot of salt or none at all and with concrete, you just don't look at the thickness to say that it is good. The water-cement ratio in a Low Water mix design is 4:1 (by volume), indicating 4 parts aggregate, and 1 part cement.

Then you have High-Performance Concrete (HPC) where the water-cement ratio is 2.5-3.5:1 (by volume), depending on specific requirements.

You also have the Pervious Concrete Mix where the water-cement ratio is 3-4:1 (by volume), ensuring higher porosity while maintaining structural integrity.

You can also get Reinforced Concrete with a water-cement ratio of 3-5:1 (by volume), adjusted based on the type and quantity of reinforcement. With this one, the strength is determined by how well the structural design was done but most importantly, how it is placed on site. If you have a very low concrete cover and the reinforcement bars start showing up, the number of tire bursts that will be happening will be fatal

As I mentioned earlier the process of cement bonding with water involves an exothermic reaction, generating significant heat. Casting concrete during hot weather demands substantial water usage to preserve the integrity of the mix design. If water evaporates prematurely, it inhibits proper bonding between aggregates, leading to incomplete reactions and structural vulnerabilities.

Let the works speak for itself after the vehicles start moving on them.

05/12/2023

Monetizing the Invisible: Selling Air

When I first wrote about the concept of Carbon Trading—selling air, as I jested—I sensed a veil of ignorance shrouding the corridors of our own government. I wrote a proposal to the Green Economy Ministry this year and their inquiry on funding sources for a green project made me realize their unfamiliarity with Carbon Trading. I have been talking about the environment for years and people even confused my expertise with environmental science. All these years, I have been largely ignored and now that people have suddenly seen the billions of dollars to be made, everyone wants to make up something.

I say this because within a few months of my letter, we witness an influx of characters traversing from desert countries, trying to tell us how to manage our forests. The people we were all laughing at and calling them ''Baka penda mabula'' Those leaves are what these people are after because they take out CO2 if you remember your photosynthesis.

These private companies and some Non-Governmental Mercenaries descending upon Zambia to tout boreholes with solar pumps or distribute eco-friendly 'mbabula,' aim not for mere benevolence. They aim to claim carbon credits, excluding our people from environmental stewardship. This exclusion mirrors the loss our populace endured in mining, now culminating in the sorrowful demise of our youth in Chingola.

If you sell all our carbon credits, does it mean that Zambia will never have any industries? Should we become a manufacturing country, how will we be offsetting our own carbon if we give those people from Dubai our own air?

Our governmental indiscretions haunt me all the time with what they do, they offered our game parks and forests to foreign entities like Turkey during the Erdogan era, facilitated by figures like Harry Kalaba. My criticism of such deals then was misconstrued as political animosity toward the PF, betraying the blithe disregard for our nation's heritage. Today when I point out the mistakes of this government especially in their attitude towards their own people, people start confusing political accountability with tribal pride.

The legacy of Kaunda, our founding father, left us verdant havens of green forests that absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, thus cleaning up after the polluters and you want to convince me today that we should surrender this to some desert-dwellers claiming forest expertise. Mwekera Forestry, Copperbelt University's esteemed Forestry division, ZAFFICO, and our collective local wisdom stand poised—repositories of knowledge and solutions nestled within our own borders, within our very grasp.

The aerospace giant Boeing churns out carbon emissions daily, while our untouched forests, legacy gifts from Kaunda's era, diligently absorb these emissions to nurture the very trees that sustain them.

The simple equation that must be understood from COP23 is one of punitive measures for polluters and rewarding custodians of nature like Zambia and I have been advocating for this one for years because I knew all along that there are billions of dollars to be made. That was the reason I was against mining in Lower Zambezi, Construction on Marshlands, and destruction of forests 1 to 27 as these are ready cash cows that can generate their own money. Today, we want to believe that a person from a desert can come here to teach our people how to deal with their own environment. Even my own late grandmother knew that Marshlands (Ilungu) were not to be built over.

Let us, for once, turn our gaze inward for solutions, harnessing the wisdom rooted in our own soil, rather than perpetually seeking counsel from distant lands, beckoning experts whose understanding pales in comparison to our ancestral guardianship of Zambia's sanctuaries.

You can always call me and in the case of the Green Economy Ministry, just answer my letters on time. You have enough people that just need a little guidance from honest people and Mr Nzovu won't need to be pleading with the Ministry of Finance for funding. We can clean up Zambia on our own and get paid for it.

Wake up before you have to pay for simply breathing!

22/08/2023

If you can speak or understand Portuguese and have at least five years of experience in the construction of wastewater treatment plants. Minimum Bachelor Degree. Anything else will not be looked at

Address

Plot No. 202, House No. 9, Lechwe Park, Ibex Hill
Kalulushi
10101

Opening Hours

Monday	09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday	09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 17:00
Thursday	09:00 - 17:00
Friday	09:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+260971503011

Website

http://www.ngmzambia.com/

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