By George Mponda, Mana:
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating along the shores of Lake Malawi in Karonga District have indicated that business has exponentially slowed down due to rising water levels in the lake.
In an interview, Wednesday, Paul Ndhlovu, proprietor of Blue Beach Bar, said flooding waters are blocking roads leading to the place and causing damage to infrastructure.
“The situation has worsened since heavy rains started falling in March. Water has flooded our place of business and some structures are weak as they are now submerged in water.
“In the dry season, we used to receive a lot of customers but now the most we can get is 20 people because the roads are impassable,” Ndhlovu said.
In a separate interview, Victor Nyasulu, a fisherman, said the continuous heavy rains have made fishing expeditions on the lake impossible.
Acting Fisheries Officer for Karonga District Council, Patrick Moyo, echoed Nhyasulu’s sentiments, saying most landing sites have no shelter and storerooms where business people can keep their processed fish.
“Lack of proper shelters and storerooms increases the rate at which processed fish is attacked by molds and produces odor which eventually lead to low prices or the fish is thrown away altogether.
“This time we are happy that the Sustainable Fisheries, Aquaculture Development and Watershed Management (SFAD-WM) project is constructing landing facilities in areas where active fishing is done like Kaporo, Chipamira, Ngala and Chilumba,” Moyo said.
According to a memo released by the National Water Resources Authority, on March 11 2024 Lake Malawi water level is at 475.95 metres above sea level (masl).
Last year on the same day it was at 475.12 masl, representing 83 centimeters increase in water levels.
“Lake Malawi waters reach peak between the months of April and May each year and this hydrological year, the lake levels have taken the highest trajectory since 2010. The increase has been attributed to increased rains in the Northern Region of Malawi and the Tanzanian side, which constitute the main catchment area of Lake Malawi,” the memo reads.
