2)–Luanshya considers anti-tree cutting by-law

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Luanshya Mayor Gordon Siwale says the local authority is considering introducing a by-law aimed at curbing the rampant cutting-down of trees.

Councilor Siwale says the Council wants to enact a new by-law that would compel anyone who is found cutting down a tree to plant a minimum of three others as a way of protecting the environment.

He observed that currently the rate of cutting down trees was alarming as compared to the rate at which people where replacing them saying the trend was detrimental to the environment.

ZANIS reports that the Luanshya Mayor said the municipality had requested for  a huge quantity of tree seeds  from Sweden during its recent  visit to that country where  a number of memoranda of understanding to twin the two towns by going green were signed.

He explained that the tree species would be planted from the Kitwe- Ndola dual carriage way turnoff up to Luashya town and also along streets in the central business district.

He said the project would also be extended to township roads and cemeteries to create shelter for mourners noting  that the council was still engaged in consultative talks with stakeholders before enacting the by-law to ensure environmental sustainability.

Meanwhile, Green Initiative Zambia Chief Executive Director Jonas Kunda say s the introduction of the by-law would not be sustainable unless it was linked to the forest Act as the council has limited protection on the environment.

Mr. Kunda noted that the by-law would only promote legal deforestation which cannot be sustained by planting tree seedlings which did not signify the carbon values of a grown tree.

He observed that allowing the cutting down of trees with a view of replacing them does not guarantee growth of the seedling and would result in the cutting down of trees by three generations.

Mr Kunda has instead called on the council to introduce laws that would restrict the cutting down of trees during land allocation and restrict land owners to only cut down trees in areas that they would replenish.

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