By Tenson Zobo
Civil Society Organization (CSOs) has called on Malawians to protect water sources so that people have access to portable water.
Project Coordinator for CSRS Blessings Chinsinga made the appeal on Wednesday in Lilongwe during a joint Tearfund and Center for Social Research (CSR) water rights workshop for journalist under the project “ Water for all: Climate change” funded by the Scottish government”.
“It saddens me to see the rate at which we are cutting down trees in the country without replacing them; it saddens me to see us encroaching water catchment areas; also it saddens me to see us dumping rubbish and waste in our rivers”
“All these have a very negative effect on the availability of water now and in future. I, therefore, call upon all leaders in communities and government that we should all hold hands to ensure that we protect the places where our water (comes from)”, said Chinsinga.
He also said that water rights are being violated in Malawi and ask people to demand their right to life since water is life. However, he expressed concerned that despite one third of the country being covered by water, many Malawians have no access to potable water.
Project Officer for Tearfund Malawi Lyton Vasulu concurred with Chinsinga that to improve the resilience of 14, 000 households in Salima, Nsanje and Kalonga districts where the Water for all project is invested to enhance water right in Malawi, main polluters should be the target.
“You will notice that our water sources are drying or they have been polluted (such) that they are not fit for human consumption. When you drive past our rivers, lakes and major dams in the country, you will notice the dangers that are coming ahead of us in terms of water availability if we do not take necessary actions to conserve water now”, he said.
Chief Executive Officer for Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) Afoso Chikuni, previously in a separate interview bemoaned carelessly of cutting down trees that (deforestation) is among the cause of siltation.
However, Afoso challenged that the major solution to reverse the situation is through community partnership and investment programs that will result in a suitable water resource in as far as water and climate justice is concerned in Malawi
Managing the waste in Malawi remains the big problem if enforcement of laws continues to be silent and violated by major companies. Thus, 14 million people stand a chance of contracting waterborne disease, as people Use River for domestic purposes and watering plants grown along the river banks.
