LAND FOR AGRIC TURNED INTO LARGE SCALE ILLEGAL MINE
KAWAMBWA District Commissioner Godfrey Chilambwe has called for an end to the illegal mining activities currently taking place in the Luena farm block of Kawambwa district.
He says the ongoing manganese mining activities were not only illegal but also causing a negative impact on the environment and damage to the farm block meant for agricultural development.
The District Commissioner was speaking during the District Joint Operation Committee (DJOC) 2 day tour of the farm block to determine the extent of the reported illegal mining activities in the farm block.
Chilambwe said it was disheartening to see the farm block being invaded by illegal mining activities when government had committed itself to developing the agricultural sector through adequate funding.
He urged those mining in the farm block to obtain proper documentation adding that illegalities were not going to be condoned as the environmental degradation that was being caused was huge.
Meanwhile, Kawambwa Town Council Secretary Isaac Mwale expressed disappointment at the high number of illegal activities taking place in the farm block.
He said it was a requirement under the law for anyone conducting any business in the district to be registered with the Local Authority including following the right procedure of conducting the business.
And Kawambwa District Agricultural Coordinator Stephen Musonda said there was a big concern from the Ministry of Agriculture over the illegalities in the farm block, disclosing that any open pit mining activity was causing damage to the land meant for farming purposes.
The mining areas visited include Kanengo, Green 2000, Chibote and Chisembe areas and the Luena farming block has over 100,000 hectares of land meant for various agricultural activities.
