By Tikondane Vega

Blantyre, March 7, Mana: Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, Liana Kakhobwe Chapota, has commended Blantyre Water Board (BWB) for continuing planting trees around Mudi River catchment as one way of sustaining water in Mudi Dam.

She appreciated BWB efforts on Thursday in Blantyre when she led BWB and other stakeholders to plant trees around Mudi River catchment area, which contributes to high level of water in Blantyre.

She said by planting more trees around Mudi catchment, BWB showed total commitment in reforestation of the catchment which in turn will improve the institution’s ability to meet present safe water demands without compromising the quantity.

“Government highly commend BWB for planting trees around Mudi area. They are just complementing what President Lazarus Chakwera said during the launch of trees planting in Phalombe district. Trees help to maintain adequate water supply for present and future generations.

“From today, everyone should take tree planting as a lifestyle that needs to be followed all the time. Let us all look after the trees; otherwise our efforts will be in vain since we will repeat planting at the same place every year,” she said.

The Deputy Minister therefore urged BWB to involve the community in tree planting exercises, saying community members will have sense of ownership and will avoid cutting down trees in the protected area as they will be part of the process.

On his part, BWB Chairperson Joe Ching’ani said the water authority will continue planting more trees and agreed with the minister to call upon Blantyre residents and surrounding areas to participate in rehabilitating the Mudi River catchment.

Ching’ani disclosed that BWB will this year plant about 30,000 seedlings around Mudi Dam and Mudi River catchment in a bid to rehabilitate the area and preserve the dam.

He said: “As BWB, we shall continue to set pace and take a lead in tree planting, knowing that water availability depends on good environment. Every year our survival rate is above 50 percent, which is good news to us considering several factors that hinder tree survival.”

Meanwhile, Senior Chief Kapeni has advised community leaders to play watchdog roles in their respective areas to stop cutting of trees in the Mudi catchment.

“We need to be alert always and report such people to responsible offices for them to be dealt with. The good part is that we have agreed to involve community in this tree planting exercise for them to be part of this,” he said.

During the tree planting exercise, BWB presented certificates of recognition to several stakeholders who donated trees to the water utility body, and the certificate recipients included FDH Bank, Fist Capital Bank, Castel Malawi, G4S, Old Mutual and Water for People.