Egenco to plant 16 000 trees along Shire River

Electricity Generation Company (Egenco) has expressed its commitment to planting 16 000 trees along Shire River banks to retain the degraded environment critical in water production for power generation.

Egenco board member Mary Lorraine Nkando  said this on Tuesday at Chibwana Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Sitola in Machinga District during the launch of the company’s 2018 tree planting exercise.

Nkando said companies have a pivotal role to play in environmental conservation as it is vital in the country’s socio-economic development.

“For Egenco, it means no water no production of electricity. That is why we are pioneering planting trees to ensure that Malawians have enough electricity which may foster their livelihoods as well as spur the country’s economic growth,” she said.

Nkando urged communities to encourage the youth to take care of the environment in the district.

In his remarks, T/A Sitola said he will not tolerate wanton cutting, but inspire his subjects to champion environmental conservation initiatives.

“Together with the Machinga Forestry Department, we will ensure that the newly-planted trees as well as the existing forests are protected,” he said. n