Pressure intensifies against SRWB K21bn project

Southern Region Water Board (SRWB) continues to face opposition to its proposed water extension project in Mangochi as some NGOs have finally applied for a court injunction stopping further execution of the project in its current drawing.

SRWB is implementing its controversial K21 billion water project at Nkhudzi Hill inside Lake Malawi National Park, a protected area and a World Heritage Site but the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other experts argue the project endangers the environment.

Several local and international NGOs and concerned citizens have been opposing the current design of the project and demanding its review since inception and three have now commenced legal action.

These include Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy (Cepa), National Youth Network on Climate Change and Movement for Environmental Action.

The organisations have dragged to court the project implementer SRWB and the contractors, Plem Construction JV of Malawi and Alghanim International General Trading and Contracting Company of Kuwait.

Initially, Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (Mepa) issued an Environmental Protection Order (EPO) and fined SRWB K5 million. The authority  also issued a Closure Order against the project, but later gave the board an approval to proceed in December last year.

One of the lawyers representing the aggrieved NGOs, Paul Mzembe confirmed an application for an injunction had been filed at the High Court.

“My clients are not against the project but have issues with the current configuration and the manner in which SRWB is proceeding. My clients believe what SWRB is doing will affect the environment,” he stated, declining to comment further as the matter is now before the courts.

According to a court document, miscellaneous cause number 9 of 2022 dated February 28 2022, the court ordered the applicants to serve defendants by close of business last Monday and that they serve their response by March 4 2022.

Cepa executive director Herbert Mwalukomo also confirmed the legal action, saying the NGOs were discontented with SRWB for proceeding with its project.

But SRWB chief executive officer Duncan Chambamba said while his office was not aware of the legal action, it was incorrect to state that the board had breached the Mepa conditions. 

He said even if the concerned NGOs drag the matter to court, SRWB was going by the conditions contained in the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment report. “As a board, we are following whatever was approved by the ESIA and the conditions given to us,” said Chambamba