Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has ordered Kariba City Council to demolish all gardens situated along waterways because they are blocking pathways used by animals which inturn increases wildlife-human interaction which could be dangerous, The Herald reports.
The matter came to light when the EMA Kariba district environmental officer Mr Charles Satiya spoke to the publication and said some of the gardens were blocking pathways used by animals to access the lake:
We have issued an order to Kariba Municipality that they must remove or cause the removal of gardens encroaching waterways with immediate effect and we are happy that the local authority has already taken a step to notify its residents to remove the gardens.
The town’s acting town clerk Mr Saratiere Chitenhe gave yet another explanation why the city was calling on residents to remove their gardens and said:
The Municipality of Kariba would like to inform Mahombekombe and Nyamhunga residents who have established small gardens in water ways, along streams and steep slopes to them with immediate effect.
The activity may cause siltation of streams and water pollution in the long run as well as extraction of poles from Parks area.
Kariba is home to about 26 000 people and it is a tourist attraction as activities like fishing, game drives etc can be done at the resort town.
More: The Herald