VICE-PRESIDENT Saulos Chilima has demanded a report from the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) on why it is cutting down trees along the M! Road close to Mzuzu City. The Vice-Presiden’s demand comes after President Lazarus Chakwera recently asked Malawians to help the government in conserving the environment.
Chilima, who was on his way back to Lilongwe from Mzuzu, stopped near Lusangazi Trading Centre, where he expressed shock at Escom’s decision to cut down trees which have been there since 1996, without considering their relevance to Mzuzu city.
A contractor, who has reportedly been permitted to fell the trees along fibre cables that are passing through areas where the trees are to be protected. “My tsak here is just cutting down the trees along the fibre cable line. The exercise has started from Chimaliro Forest close to Kasungu up to here. I don’t have any say on the trees that have already been cut down,” said Ken Nyirend of KIK companies.
But Chilima said the developemnt is questionable and cannot be accepted. “When I passed here on Sunday, I noticed the depletion and today on my way back, I decided to stop and see it for myself. We are comprehensive because if they want to protect the cble, why cut trees both sides of the road.
“We want to hear from Escom because this is bad. It is depletion of a forest. This is destruction of the environment,” the Vice-President said.
By the time we went to press, we had not managed to get a comment from Escom Public Relations Manager Innocent Chitosi. But communication that we have seen indicates that the Office of Deputy Director of Forestry responsible for Viphya Plantations on October 26, 2017 granted Escom permission to install the cables through the plantations.
“However, any damage to trees will be assessed and compansated,” reads the communication in response to the electricity supplier’s request that CCS Huawei Contractors should undertake the exercise.
It is not clear how the compasation process would be undertaken. In the morning, Chilima met Nkhatabay, Rumphi and M’mbelwa District Council officials separately in closed meetings.
On his Facebook page, he said he was happy that the councils are doing their best to create opportunities that can help boost their ecomonic statuses. Chilima has since announcement that on November 3, the Ministry of Local Government will sign a Performance Agreement Contract with President Lazarus Chakwera, committing that all councils should implement the reforms that he is undertakings.
Source: The Daily Times_October 28, 2020_by Samuel Kalimira