EGENCO distributing Chitetezo mbaula

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In its effort to reduce siltation in Shire River caused by careless cutting down of trees along the river’s catchment areas, the Electricity Generation Company (EGENCO) has started distributing Chitetezo mbaula in Shire’s catchment areas.

The first beneficiaries of the project were people from Chipamba and two other villages in the area of Traditional Authority Sitola in Machinga district.

One of the beneficiaries receiving Chitetezo Mbaula.

Speaking during the distribution exercise on Tuesday, EGENCO Chief Executive Officer William Liabunya said almost 30,000 households in the Shire River catchment areas are to benefit from the project.

Liabunya said EGENCO in conjunction with United Purpose (UP) thought it wise to distribute these chitetezo mbaula to reduce the siltation levels in their main source of power, Shire River.

The CEO said the Chitetezo mbaula being distributed will reduce the cutting down of trees in the catchment areas since they uses less firewood.

“We are distributing these Chitetezo mbaula to reduce siltation which is heavily affecting the production of electricity in all our power stations which is due to wanton cutting down of trees especially in Shire river catchment areas.

“The mbaula uses less firewood and we think this can help in the reduction of siltation levels in the river since there will be no more cutting down of trees in these areas which are the beneficiaries of the project by us with our partners, United Purpose,” said Liabunya.

 Oh is part, UP program manager – energy, Lloyd Archer, said the chitetezo mbaula can play a significant role in the production of electricity.

He said people in the catchment areas are advised to stop cutting down trees anyhow.

EGENCO will continue with the project next week in Neno and other districts to benefit include Balaka and Zomba.