By Wanangwa Tembo

Kasungu, February 22, Mana: Kasungu District Council Assistant Forestry Officer Leah Ndovi says the support the district receives from partners will help it easily achieve its target of planting at least 3.5 million trees during the current planting season.

Ndovi was speaking on Wednesday during a tree planting exercise organized by the National Construction Industry Council (NCIC) at Kadoweke Primary School in Traditional Authority Mwase in the district.

She said: “We are encouraged by the support from NCIC in form of 3,000 tree seedlings which we will plant in various schools and villages. This is a big boost towards achieving our target of planting not less than 3.5 million trees this season.

“We are working on improving the survival rate of the trees that we plant. One strategy is planting while we are still receiving good rains, and also by ensuring that woodlots are properly weeded to protect them from bush fires,” she said.

Ndovi also condemned the practice of planting trees and failing to care for them, saying a lot of resources go into the preparation of tree nurseries hence the need to ensure that the investment does not go down the drain.

Chief Executive Officer for NCIC, Engineer Gerald Khonje, said the exercise was part of the annual activities that the construction industry regulatory body conducts towards the protection and management of the environment.

“In the execution of our mandate to ensure that the construction industry is transformed and quality driven, we take part in a number of interventions that work towards the protection and management of the environment because we are aware that construction activities have an impact on the environment.

“When we want to construct something, we cut trees to clear the bushes. As such, we established a policy that when companies in the construction industry do their work, there should responsible care to protect the environment. They should also take part in reforestation initiatives,” said Khonje.

He added that this year, NCIC has sourced 10,000 tree seedlings which will be planted in all the three regions of the country.

In his remarks, Group Village Head Msolola said chiefs will see to it that bylaws that were made to protect trees are enforced.

This season, the tree planting activities are being conducted under the theme: “Forest innovation in action: reforestation for sustainable tomorrow”