Green Belt Authority moves to protect scheme

 Green Belt Authority has started planting trees along Lingadzi River banks which passes through its sugarcane scheme in Salima District to reduce erosion and floods.

The initiative comes after the authority noticed that floods damaged the scheme and surrounding farms.

In an interview on Friday, the authority’s acting chief executive officer Amon Mluwira said they have initiated different interventions to protect the scheme from flooding to no avail; hence, turning to planting trees along the river banks.

He said: “We have so far tried many interventions to control the river from flooding. So, we decided to

plant trees along the river banks to prevent erosion.

“You know that trees reduce run-off and we believe that this will prevent flooding.”

Mluwira said for the past two years, the scheme has lost almost 10 metres of cultivated land close to the river.

He said: “The authority annually loses K50 million trying to maintain the river, which makesus record loses.

“So, with the tree-planting exercise, we believe that we will solve the problem.”

Salima district forestry officer Adam Jason hailed the authority for the initiative, saying it will help to prevent the devastating effects of flooding.

He said: “The lack of trees along Lingadzi River has resulted in massive flooding which has damaged the sugarcane scheme and surrounding communities.

“So, I hope vegetative cover will save the scheme and the environment.”

Jason also asked the authority and people around the area to take care of the environment.

Senior Chief Mwanza urged his subjects to refrain from cutting down trees carelessly.

“I also ask people to plant and look after trees because they are important in many ways,” he said