Martin Chiwanda and Charlie Ligomeka

Machinga, August 23, Mana: National Water Resources Authority (NWRA) on Thursday commissioned six tipper trucks at Liwonde barrage in Machinga for weed management, which will involve removing and transporting the weeds from Shire River to a damping site.

Speaking after commissioning of the trucks supplied by Mahindra, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, Elias Chimulambe said the trucks were highly significant to Malawi because they will be assisting in conservation of Malawi's main source of electrical power.

“We are glad for this development because our main source of electrical power, which is approximately 90%, is generated from Shire River which therefore needs to be watched carefully. Removing the weeds and other damps from the river, will not only affect how water passes through the barrage, but also how Egenco manages their machines downstream,” he added.

The Principal Secretary called on those that will be responsible for running of the trucks to avoid using them on other tasks different from weeds removal and others as per their job.

He said government expects good use and productivity of energy supply in Malawi through the introduction of the trucks, which will contribute to weed management

Chimulambe also encouraged proper use of the wastes that will be disposed from the river.

According to agreement made with the Machinga District Council, the weeds will be turned into composite manure and production of biogas energy.

Engineer. James Mambulu, who is Board Chairperson for NWRA said the six trucks was a big milestone in weed management, adding that the authority will make good use of trucks to archive the intended purpose.

“What matters now is how we use these facilities, as of now we have recruited the barrage manager who will start working on September 1 this year. We will also recruit other members that at the barrage to ensure proper management of the barrage and the trucks,” he added.

MWASIP Technical Team Leader for Planning and Monitoring, James Kumwenda said MWASIP’s objective is to improve watershed services and catchment restoration and expressed gratitude with the introduction on the new trucks for weed management at the barrage

He added that will also assist in restoring quality of water in Shire River, improving water flow and assist in production of electricity downstream.

Kumwenda thanked World Bank for providing funding through MWASIP, saying provision of the trucks was significant move in the right direction.

Electricity Generation Company of Malawi (Egenco) has been managing the project but another company, Mahindra is taking over up to 2026.