Communities around Chikutu catchment area in Karonga district have expressed satisfaction with Enhanced Public Works Programme (EPWP) saying it will assist in reducing land degradation in many parts of the area along river banks.

Chikutu Catchment Area Foreman Nixon Mlenga was in his area, when a team from Karonga district council went to appreciate progress of the programme.

Mlenga said through the EPWP they have been able to control the flow of water along Kasantha river by among other things constructing stone bands, planting trees and banana suckers.

“This river year in and out has been flooding around this area and many houses were swept away, but now we have seen that the water flow has been controlled because of this initiative. We thank government for coming up with this programme,” he said

Karonga district Liaison officer for National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) Geoffrey Ntengula said he was impressed with progress of the work that has been done saying it will control the arable land that was heavily degraded in the past due to run off water.

“I am very impressed with what this community has done here because apart from conserving the environment through constructing stone bands along Kasantha river, they have also planted bananas that will be used as a source of food and income in the near future,” he said.

Ntengula therefore assured the community that NLGFC will continue providing all necessary support for all five catchment areas in Karonga so that it achieves its intended goals.

EPWP is being implemented in ten districts namely Chitipa and Karonga in the North, Nkhota-kota, Kasungu, Dowa and Lilongwe in the center and Balaka, Chiradzulu, Phalombe and Blantyre in the south on pilot phase with financial support from World Bank.

Story Credits: Andrew Mkonda Banda; District Information Officer-Karonga