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BWB urges stakeholders to manage planted trees

Blantyre Water Board (BWB) has urged stakeholders in  the reforestation of Mudi Dam catchment area to also help in management of the trees to ensure 100 percent survival rate.

Speaking on Friday when members of Coordination Unit for the Rehabilitation of Environment (Cure) planted about 900 indigenous trees in the area, BWB water quality technician Precious Puzani said only planting trees is not enough.

The tree planting exercise in progress

“We appeal to you to also come and help with weeding and making fire breaks to protect the trees from bush fires,” he said. 

Speaking in an interview, Cure board chairperson Gracian Banda said the unit decided to plant trees in the area because Mudi Dam, which provides about 20 percent of water to Blantyre residents and surrounding areas, had its catchment heavily deforested and polluted over the years.

“To ensure survival of these trees, we will initiate a programme whereby Cure and its partners will come to weed and provide firebreaks,” he said.

A few years ago, the area was encroached by people who were cultivating and putting up kilns.

BWB evicted the encroachers in 2015 and since then, it has been moving in phases of the dam’s rehabilitation.

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