People and different organizations around Chembe village at Mangochi’s Cape Maclear on Monday and Tuesday conducted a cleaning exercise at Lake Malawi National Park.
Organisations and experts working on conserving the environment planned to undertake the cleaning exercise in Chembe village and at Lake Malawi National Park in Cape Maclear, Mangochi district.
According to the organisers, the exercise is aimed at getting rid of all the garbage from the lake as well as the beach with the aim of maintaining natural beauty.
Lake Malawi is feared to be losing its water levels and facing pollution due to various human activities.
Founding trustee of the Health Education Environment and Economic Development (Heeed), Alison Wiklund said the situation at Cape Maclear is becoming worrisome.
Wiklund said people in the area are throwing more waste in the lake a development which she said can harm natural resources in the water body and on the beach.
At the cleaning exercise, the trustee also said garbage disposal is as well posing a health risk to the people as well as affecting tourism.
“There is a lot of garbage disposal this area that is why we saw it important to undertake this cleaning exercise which is aimed at maintaining natural beauty of the lake as well as the shore,” said Wiklund.
Norwegian ambassador to Malawi Kikkan Huegan also participated in the underwater cleaning exercise on Monday.
Other notable individuals and organizations who attended the exercise on Monday include UNESCO, Mangochi district commissioner James Manyetera, environmental rights activist Godfrey Mfiti, the department of national parks and wildlife, fisheries department and Professor Sosten Chiotha of Leadership of environment and development (Lead).
Chembe Village in Mangochi is located close to the shores of Lake Malawi.
