LL Mayor to press for environmental by-laws review
Lilongwe City Mayor Desmond Bikoko says there is need for reviewing by-laws to ensure environmental sustainability in the city. He was responding to questionnaire that sought to seek his environmental sustainability plans for the city.
He said if the by-laws are not reviewed, Lilongwe will continue facing environmental challenges.
“Council has made concerted efforts to plant trees around river banks only to be uprooted by some unpatriotic residents. Enforcement on sand mining and brick burning has been a challenge and it is for this reason I want to enhance enforcement through a city police,” he said.
On pollution, Bikoko said they need to get tough and impose heavy fines on polluters as well as stop their operations.
Water and Environmental Sanitation Network (WES-Network) national coordinator Chrispin Bokho said Lilongwe City has always been lagging behind in terms of environmental sustainability.
“The markets are dirty and untidy. Dumping sites are unorganised and wrongly positioned. There is poor waste collection system which makes it easy for people to dump waste anyhow,” he said.
Bokho said it is pleasing that the new Mayor is planning to improve the sanitation of this beautiful city by putting in place and enforcing by-laws.
“Enforce the by-laws without fear or favour and without being influenced by politics,” he said. n
