By Our Reporter
KARONGA (MaraviPost): Residents of Karonga the northern part of Malawi, have been urged to continue listening to the daily weather forecast being issued by the department of climate change and metrological services for proper planning in their daily activities as well as following agricultural practices that matches with the current weather conditions such as winter cropping and irrigation.
The remarks follow the report that the district shall experience heavy rainfall and thunderstorms between the months of February and April after devastating 166 houses since the rain season started and the predicted dropping of the 2015 to 2016 maize and rice harvests.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Maravipost, the district metrological officer Victor Phiri said the number of the affected houses as well as people’s lives may increase if the community fails to listen to the daily weather forecast and comply with the advice issued by the department.
“First of all what you should know is that despite the poor start of the rain season, the district may experience heavy rainfall as well as thunderstorms between the moths of February and April therefore we are urging the community to be attentive with the day to day weather forecast that our office is predicts,” said Phiri.
In his remarks, Karonga Crops and Disaster Risk Management Officer under the DISCOVER project which is implemented by the Self Help Africa organization Blessings Mlowoka said apart from listening to the daily weather forecast, farmers in the district must also use the winter cropping as well as irrigation system of farming.
According to Mlowoka based on the information from the department of the metrological on the 2015 to 2016 rain season, the district’s maize and rice harvest will be dropped while pigeon peas as well as sweet potatoes will be normal.
He therefore revealed that his organization has carried different activities in dealing with the situation.
“To us as organization we are just urging farmers to start using winter cropping and irrigation farming as an alternative measures to the situation so that at least the farmers in the district can harvest something,” pleaded Mlowoka
“On our part through the DISCOVER project we carried different activities such as sensitization campaign using trained drama, mobile vans and a music band. On top of that the organization has procured and distributed to the farmers about 8000kgs early maturing maize seeds, 1000kgs of pigeon peas and 309 bundles of sweet potatoes seeds in striving to increase the harvest,” said Mlowoka.
Adding that “we have also procured and install 14 international standards rain gauges into all five traditional authorities in the district of which the data is collected by the community themselves through the trained personnel with the aim of reducing disasters.”
Meanwhile, about 166 houses were affected by the rainstorms early this rain season in three traditional authorities according to the district disaster officer Walusungu Mwafulirwa.
“Currently we have registered about 166 houses being affected by the rainstorm in the district especially from the areas of traditional authority Kilipula, Kyungu and Wasambo but lucky enough we managed to distribute the relief items to the victims such as maize, plastic pails and the others,” said Mwafulirwa.
