The Lilongwe City Council (LCC) has threatened to slash all crops which will be cultivated along city roads and other protected areas in the next farming season.
This is according to the council’s environment protection order released on Monday 3rd July, 2023, signed by LCC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Macloud Kadam’manja.
In the order, LCC says it has noted with great concern that some residents in the city have started clearing land along city roads and river banks to prepare for the upcoming planting season.
The council indicated that public land along the city roads, river banks, streams and wetlands (dambos) which are found within the city of Lilongwe are environmentally protected areas.
LCC continued by saying cultivating in and along such public areas is prohibited by law and has threatened to slash all crops that will be cultivated in those areas.
“The malpractice is against the national pieces of legislation on management of the environment and is punishable by law as stipulated in section 3(1) and section 33(1) of Environmental Management Act (EMA) of 2017, water Resources Act (Cap 72:3) Section 22 Subsection (1) and National Water policy item 9:7:3, 9:7:4 and 9:7:8.
“Therefore, Lilongwe City Council through Directorate of Parks, Recreation and Environment will slash all crops cultivated in these protected areas and destroy land preparations without any form of compensation,” reads part of the order.
