Environmentalists say the Kenyatta Drive expansion project, which has led to the felling of over 1000 trees, should be stopped to pave way for an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA).
Malawi Parliamentary Conversation Caucus and Movement for Environmental Action held a press briefing yesterday where they made the demand.
Chairperson of the caucus, Werani Chilenga told journalists on Tuesday that the cutting down of almost 1,000 trees has caused mixed emotions, from sadness through to outright outrage, because there is disregard of laws and the value assigned to the natural heritage.
He added that the trees which include legally protected Mibawa trees, have grown with the country’s capital city for over 50 years, providing shade, cooling the air, protecting the roads among others, as such they needed to be protected.
Chilenga further said that the projects did not follow the collect protocol as such both ethics and legal framework must therefore be examined and requisite consequences followed.
“We are calling upon Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) to come forward and solve this problem by doing the needful because they know the law and the penalties. We are asking them at the same time not to render selective justice,” he explained.
He added that the project was supposed to come after an ESIA report in order to protect the environment.
On his part, representative from Movement for Environmental Action Clement Masangano said that they want the project to be done according to the rule of the law without escaping anything.
Masangano went on to say that it is very important as citizens to reach to the situation because so many things will be affected including people who operate business along those places.
He said that the movement will make sure that they will promote the preservation and continued improvement of the environmental for the benefit of the present and next generation.
Forsake, you are all enemies of development. You think Lilongwe should have trees until Jesus comes? Don’t you see development in other capitals like Dar-es-Salaam? Do you see a sea of trees there or buildings? We know you are one of the DPP members not happy that Chakwera is prioritizing infrastructure development…you are jealous fools.
we joke too much as a country. people, we cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs!!!! Kuti timange misewu yolozeka there have to be some costs to the environment, unless of course some idiot environmentalists want us to remain with these small congested roads.