Egenco to plant 35,000 trees this season, 5000 already planted in Neno.

By Luke Chimwaza

The Energy Generation Company (Egenco) limited says it will plant a total of 35,000 trees along the Shire river during this year’s tree planting season as a way of protecting the main source of Malawi electricity generation, the Shire river.

Chief Executive Officer for Egenco Mackson Chitawo says their company depends on Shire river to generate power, however the river get water from various streams along it and it is against this background that Egenco wants to dress all streams and ensure they’re fully covered to avoid siltation which affects performance of the Hydro electric Power generation.

He said this on Wednesday at Lisungwi Community Day Secondary school in the area of Inkosi Symon Likongwe in Neno on the sidelines of the company’s launch of tree planting exercise this year.

“We will follow Shire river from Mangochi, Machinga, Balaka, Blantyre and Neno to plant a total of 35,000 and at the same time put measures their sustainability, however we ably control water from Mangochi, Machinga and Balaka through our barrage in Liwonde while water flowing from streams in Neno come straight into Shire and to our machines and the only best solution of purifying the waters is through planting trees so that we should be receiving clean water that will not affect power generation, this is the reason we decided to start with Lisungwi which is very close to our machines by planting 5,000 trees today ” Said Chitawo.

Guest of honour at the event, Minister of Energy Honourable Ibrahim Matola said after President Chakwera launched the tree planting season in Phalombe, Ministry of Energy and Egenco felt duty bound to take the responsibility of leading in environmental conservation the initiatives.

“The world now is advocating for clean economy and green energy, and in Malawi we make our energy through Hydro and our President is emphasizing on environmental conservation. I am happy that Egenco has taken a step further to implement what President Dr Lazarus Chakwera initiated early last month when he launched tree planting and as a line ministry, we can assure Egenco our maximum support so that it continues producing power without challenges.” Said Matola.

Meanwhile, Neno South legislator Hon Mark Katsonga and Council chairperson Councillor Montfort Bwanali have vowed to take the tree planting exercise further to all parts of the district to curb problems associated with environmental mismanagement which has seen Neno receiving intermittent rains leading to endless hunger among people in the district.

Chairperson for Parliamentary Committee on Environment Hon Werani Chilenga, District Commissioner for Neno Mrs Rosemary Nawasha Former Lawmaker of Neno South Joe Manduwa, Lisungwi Community Day secondary school students and teachers as well as village headmen and hundreds of communities around Lisungwi attended the event.