Council impounds Prisons vacuum truck

Lilongwe City Council (LCC) on Monday impounded a Malawi Prisons Service vacuum tanker for dumping sewage in an undesignated area.

Acting on a tip-off, LCC officials found the vehicle, registration 034 MG 074, discharging untreated sewage into a manhole close to Lilongwe River bank.

The LCC team impounded the vehicle and took it to their works yard in Area 4.

Speaking in an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana), LCC spokesperson Tamara Chafunya condemned the act, warning that anyone caught in the malpractice would face the law.

“Untreated sewage contains bacteria and pathogens that are harmful to human health and the environment.

“As a city council, we strongly discourage the malpractice and we would like to warn the public that should anyone be caught in such malpractice, he or she will face the law which includes paying a hefty fine,” she said.

Chafunya advised the public to dump sewage at LCC’s waste water treatment plant and should report to the council if they find anyone discharging the sewage at unauthorised places.

“All pit emptiers and vacuum tankers are supposed to dump their waste at Kauma Waste Water Treatment Plant where the waste is treated and safely handled before being released into the environment,” she said.

In his comment, environmental activist Mathews Malata appealed to the public to avoid dumping sewage in unauthorised sites.

“Dumping the sewage in unauthorised places aids pollution of the environment which includes rivers. It is also against the Environmental Management Act and Public Health Act.

“Therefore, my plea to the public is that they should avoid dumping the sewage anyhow,” he said.