M1 rehabilitation stalls

 Six months after the launch of the K129 billion rehabilitation of the M1— between Lilongwe and Rumphi—construction is yet to start due to delays to approve the environmental and social management plan (ESMP), Weekend Nation has the details.

Minister of Transport and Public Works Jacob Hara confirmed the delays in an interview yesterday, saying the ESMP will now be approved in stages to make progress.

In November 2019, the Malawi Government and the European Union (EU) signed a financial agreement for 139 million euro as contribution towards the rehabilitation of the road. President Lazarus Chakwera launched the project on July 12 last year.

Of the amount, 95.5 million euro (about K95 billion) is a loan from European Investment Bank and 43.1 million euro (about K43 billion) a grant from the EU.

According to Hara, the environmental social impact assessment (Esia) was already approved and government is optimistic that contractors will meet deadlines.

Said Hara: “We have, however, reached a compromise with the consultant to have the ESMP approved in stages to allow works to proceed on approved projects phases.”

Roads Authority (RA) chief executive officer Engineer Emmanuel Matapa earlier described the M1 road as in a dire state after outliving its lifespan, thereby posing a danger to road users.

The delay to start actual work is coming after RA, with funding from Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa conducted a study in 2019, which condemned most parts of the M1 road between Lilongwe and Karonga. The report acknowledges that the road poses danger to users.

Reads the report in part: “The existing road has a number of potholes and cracks have developed in many places, making passage of vehicles extremely difficult. Current efforts by the RA to maintain the road surface by carrying out routine maintenance in the form of patching, reconstruction of washed away sections and drainage improvement have proved ineffective and costly.”

Police statistics indicate that the M1 road accounts for about 90 percent of all road accidents in the country.

In an e-mailed response RA spokesperson Portia Kajanga indicated that all contractors on the four lots of the project are at different levels of mobilisation in preparation for commencement of civil works.

Said Kajanga: “It is expected that the works will commence towards the end of the rainy season. The project is in four lots which are running concurrently from June 29 2022, but with different completion dates.”

According to her, Lot 1, which is for 102 kilometres [from Kamuzu International Airport Turn-off to Kasungu] has a project period of 30 months while Lot 2, an 85.5 km stretch [from Kasungu – Jenda] is for 18 months.

Lot 3, covering 46.7km [from Jenda – Mzimba Turn-off] is expected to be done in 15 months and Lot 4, covering 66. 5 km [from Kacheche – Chiweta] is for 24 months.

In a telephone interview, Mzimba North legislator Yeremiah Chihana in whose constituency Lot 4 passes, wondered why the project was launched before finalising all the plans.

He explained that since the project was conceptualised by the previous ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the current administration could be facing challenges to copy-and-paste what was already there, but was quick to add that “government is a continuing process”.

Said Chihana: “DPP was known for laying down ground-breaking stones, let this administration depart from that. I find the reasons for the delays to be lame duck excuses. If anything, if there are any issues of donor fatigue, let government address that.”

Commenting on the project, Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency executive director Willy Kambwandira urged government to give the public correct information to avoid raising their expectations.

He said: “There is just a lot of political pressure on these projects without due consideration of the technical implications. I just hope that the minister is not trying to please his political leaders, thereby forcing the consultant to take short-cuts.”

The M1 is an economic lifeline with high-level traffic as it runs the entire length of the country from Nsanje to Karonga