Saulos Chilima for standard structures
Construction of sub-standard structures is one of the factors contributing to threats to lives of innocent people when disasters strike, Vice-President Saulos Chilima has said.
Chilima made the call at Makuta Primary School, Traditional Authority Kachenga, in Balaka District when he presented relief items to families affected by a storm that hit the area on Monday, January 8.
“Let me appeal to the district council that when awarding contracts, give them to contractors who have the expertise to erect strong structures that guarantee safety to people’s lives,” Chilima said.
A total of 698 households have been affected by the storm in various areas of Balaka District. The district is also facing the challenge of the fall armyworm, which has wiped out 19, 000 hectares of maize fields.
Commenting on the issue of the disaster, Chilima urged affected households not to despair, saying “the government is on the look-out”.
“The relief items that I have brought today are for the people who have been affected; let us avoid corruption during the distribution so that all the affected people can benefit,” he said.
Chilima reminded people that climate change is real and that there was need to adopt mitigating measures.
Chilima expressed gratitude to Balaka District Council for setting out to plant more than seven million trees this year alone.
In December last year, President Peter Mutharika officially launched the national tree planting season that runs from December 15 to April 15.
The country expects to plant at least 60 million trees during this season.
Speaking earlier, Balaka District Commissioner, Rodrick Mateauma, thanked the government for the timely response to the disaster.
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