By Memory Chatonda

Blantyre, August 26, Mana: National Water Resources Authority (NWRA) has challenged editors and media managers from various media institutions to make deliberate efforts that would change people’s mindset on issues around water resources management in the country.

NWRA Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Dwight Kambuku gave the challenge on Monday in Blantyre during the high level engagement meeting with editors and media managers from the southern region.

Kambuku said the significance of editors and media managers in any set up could not be overstressed as they are the cardinal point on which success or failure of any institution rotates.

“It is for this reason that we ask for your support. Help us persuade the citizenry towards involvement in matters of managing water resources and avoidance of any water related catastrophe,” he said.

Kambuku said he is optimistic that through the interaction, NWRA and media managers would share notes on how best they could sustainably manage and regulate water resources at the same time and also jointly implement strategies of averting any water related catastrophe among the citizenry.

“I believe the outcomes will resonate well with the Malawi 2063 Agenda as it focuses on jointly contributing towards achieving country’s long term development plans,” he said.

Meanwhile, NWRA has penalized councils and companies for contravening water resource Act and regulations during their operations.

“As you are aware, no one is allowed to drill a borehole without obtaining a license from the authority, no one is allowed to extract water from the rivers for irrigation or domestic use, no one is allowed to use the water resource for generation of hydro-electric power not even discharging effluent into water bodies without the permit from the Authority.

“So, those that were penalized, in a big way they violated these conditions as captured in the water resource Act of 2013 and also the regulation of 2018,” he said, adding that some of the councils that have been penalized include Zomba, Lilongwe and also Mount Meru.

On his part, Secretary General for Malawi Editors Forum, Gracian Tukula described the meeting as crucial in ensuring that manager and editors understand better the mandate of the NWRA for them to ably disseminate messages to the masses to save life and property.

“Water is life because we cannot talk about sustainable life without water. Therefore, this interaction is of paramount importance and it remains our responsibility to use the information we have gathered regarding to water resource management for publication through different platforms,” Tukula said.

NWRA was established by the Act of parliament in 2013 and it became operational in 2019. Among other things, the authority is mandated to control, regulate and conserve water resources.