By Isaac Salima:
Blantyre City Council (BCC) has encouraged people to move away from using burnt bricks, saying this is crucial in the drive for environmental conservation.
BCC Director of Town Planning and Estate Services, Coxley Chanza, made the remarks in Blantyre Monday when Habitat for Humanity Malawi launched a social enterprise dubbed ‘Timange Ecobuild’.
The organisation has established a plant in Machinjiri, which, among other activities, involves the production of interlocking soil-stabilised cement blocks to be used in construction.
“People cut down trees to burn bricks for construction, so such interventions need to be encouraged if we are to win the battle against human activities that harm the environment.
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“We are happy to be associated with institutions that are advancing the city through the use of sustainable building materials,” Chanza said.
Timange Ecobuild acting Managing Director Dumisani Malija said the official opening of the facility is a milestone, as it will enhance the provision of construction materials for the organisation’s projects.
“This will also support our sustainability, as profits realised will be reinvested in our mission of housing the nation. We were prompted to launch this initiative due to environmental degradation caused by wanton tree cutting,” he said.
The facility was established last year with funding from the United Kingdom-based family of Chris Endsor.
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The organisation has since constructed 45 houses for the underprivileged using cement blocks produced at the facility.
According to the National Construction Industry Council (NCIC) of Malawi, the use of burnt bricks is illegal for all public and commercial construction projects.
The prohibition is enforced under the Use of Sustainable Construction Materials Regulations, 2018, which were introduced by the government to promote environmentally friendly and energy-efficient building practices.
NCIC has actively implemented this ban by issuing stop orders on several construction projects that violated the regulations.
