Thursday, March 28, 2024

Luanshya considers anti-tree cutting by-law

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LUANSHYA Mayor elect Gordon Siwale being interview by a journalist shortly after being elected in the Council Chamber at the Civic Centre
LUANSHYA Mayor Gordon Siwale being interview by a journalist shortly after being elected in the Council Chamber at the Civic Centre

Luanshya Mayor Gordon Siwale says the local authority is considering introducing a by-law aimed at curbing the rampant cutting-down of trees.

Councilor Siwale says the Council wants to enact a new by-law that would compel anyone who is found cutting down a tree to plant a minimum of three others as a way of protecting the environment.

He observed that currently the rate of cutting down trees was alarming as compared to the rate at which people where replacing them saying the trend was detrimental to the environment.

ZANIS reports that the Luanshya Mayor said the municipality had requested for a huge quantity of tree seeds from Sweden during its recent visit to that country where a number of memoranda of understanding to twin the two towns by going green were signed.

He explained that the tree species would be planted from the Kitwe- Ndola dual carriage way turnoff up to Luashya town and also along streets in the central business district.

He said the project would also be extended to township roads and cemeteries to create shelter for mourners noting that the council was still engaged in consultative talks with stakeholders before enacting the by-law to ensure environmental sustainability.

Meanwhile, Green Initiative Zambia Chief Executive Director Jonas Kunda say s the introduction of the by-law would not be sustainable unless it was linked to the forest Act as the council has limited protection on the environment.

Mr. Kunda noted that the by-law would only promote legal deforestation which cannot be sustained by planting tree seedlings which did not signify the carbon values of a grown tree.

He observed that allowing the cutting down of trees with a view of replacing them does not guarantee growth of the seedling and would result in the cutting down of trees by three generations.

Mr Kunda has instead called on the council to introduce laws that would restrict the cutting down of trees during land allocation and restrict land owners to only cut down trees in areas that they would replenish.

11 COMMENTS

  1. This is the way to go. I have a law where most of the trees in Mumbai are numbered by the Marahashtra Government, this means that I tree that is cut is known and the number of trees remaining is known. This is the 3rd good thing PF is done in their entire period, number one, appointment of Chibamba Kanyama, number 2, appointment of Patrick Chisanga as CEO at ZDA

    • @mushota You are very scars-tic, what comes out of your mouth is always trash, you have never lived in luanshya. Luanshya was one of the cleanest town in the country with a thriving economy until 1997 when MMD privatized mines, the local economy was strangled by the dodgy investor started syphoning money out the country, money which was supposed to be reinvested in the company and the government did nothing to stop him they just looked away. And some of the people who supported this dodgy investor are in PF government including the president.
      You need to go to the mental hospital for check up.

    • Here in the UK, where there is Rule of Law, people dont just wake up and mess with stuff. Problem is there no agencies in Zambia to implement Law. Laws are there but who to implement.

  2. This is the way to go. I have a law where most of the trees in Mumbai are numbered by the Marahashtra Government, this means that a tree that is cut is known and the number of trees remaining is known. This is the 3rd good thing PF is done in their entire period, number one, appointment of Chibamba Kanyama, number 2, appointment of Patrick Chisanga as CEO at ZDA

    • That was my thought. What is the job of the Zambia Forestry department if not to develop new seeds, grow tree nurseries and ensure re-forestation in the country?

  3. CUT ONE PLANT THREE OH MY GOD what a law, what guarrantee that the planted tree will grow? what about species? foolish LAW

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