Blantyre City Council (BCC) has extended the Keep Blantyre Clean and Green Campaign by coming up with a health week and reintroducing the clean premises contest.
The health week begins on Monday next week, according to the council.
Blantyre City mayor Wild Ndipo yesterday said during the week the council will, among other activities, sweep the streets, conduct proper refuse disposal, clean open drainages, cut tall grass along the city’s river banks and clean dumpsites.
At the same time, the council will also enforce orderly parking, including parking of heavy goods vehicles in undesignated areas and removing garages located in residential areas.
“If someone started a garage with one car and now they have grown, let them come to us we will give them [appropriate] space,” said the mayor.
Ndipo also called the residents’ cooperation.
“Everybody is on board. If someone is living in a particular house, is it the job of the city council to cut that grass?” he asked.
To ensure continued cleanliness, Ndipo said they have re-introduced the annual clean premises campaign which fizzled out in the 1990s due to lack of councillors.
The prizes for the winners, which will be categorised according to residential areas, are yet to be announced.
The cleaning exercise is expected to cost K76 million and the city father is asking residents and corporate citizens to support the cause by cleaning their premises and providing dustbins.
Commenting on the health week initiative, environmental activist Tony Khanye said while it is a good idea, it is the implementation that leaves a lot to be desired.
He expressed the hope that all the city’s 23 wards will be involved in the clean-up exercise as promised by the mayor.
“Not all wards were reached out during the Keep Blantyre City Clean and Green Campaign. It was only being done in Blantyre and Limbe [central business districts],” he said. n
