By ALICE NACHILEMBE
Trees engulf man with a priceless breathing prowess while water saves the dying man from dehydration.
Through numerous ecosystem services, natural environments play a fundamental role in protecting water.
It’s the water utility firm that gets the blame when reservoir water levels get lower and ground water table’s drop leading to water supplies, human health, and the environment being put at very serious risk. But this stems from man butchering the natural environment.
Mulonga Water Supply and Sanitation Company Limited (MWSC) recently joined the world in celebrating the Environment Day under the Theme ‘Ecosystem Restoration’ cementing the fact that the water utility is not left out on the effects of the environment on water production.
The natural environment gives humans a wealth of services that are difficult to measure in dollars. Nature helps clean the air, purify our water, slow floodwaters, and cool our streets.
For example, lower water levels can contribute to higher concentrations of natural and human pollutants and in turn endangering both man and the animal kingdom.
It is for this reason that MWSC advocates for a mindset change in conservation of the environment.
If this be a combined effort, the trees and water reservoirs would remain un-deforested and without pollutants respectively.
MWSC Acting Managing Director Yvonne Chisuku said ‘Ecosystem Restoration’ has significant meaning to the utility firm as a water and sanitation service provider.
Unfortunately, many freshwater ecosystems and the services they provide are threatened. Changes in land use, environmental pollution, water diversion, overfishing and the introduction of foreign species have harmed our freshwater resources.
Ms Chisuku said the company takes world Environment Day seriously as an occasion to celebrate the environment and advocate for better industrial, commercial and domestic water and sanitation practices from all.
This year’s theme is centered on the ecosystem which is very significant to human survival.
She said company is currently grappling with poor raw water quality from both underground and surface sources.
This can partly be blamed on the degradation of the ecosystem which protects freshwater sources.
Ms Chisuku said if this is not managed well it will negatively affect the quality of both water but also increase the cost of water production of the company.
She said MWSC earnest appeal is for all citizens to take up the challenge of ecosystem restoration to protect the global and safeguard humans, animal and plant life.
“As a company we pledge to take a leading role on issues of environment protection not only as an interested party but also as a responsible corporate citizen. We understand that industrialization and commercial human activities are a desirable factor in development however it is possible to expand our activities in ways to protect our ecosystem,” she said.
Ms Chisuku made an earnest appeal to the media to take interest in issues of water quality and help communities understand the connection between certain environmentally unfriendly activities and water quality.
MWSC Communications Manager Bright Mtonga said the company this year plans to have a media tour of one of the water treatment plants so that colleagues from the media can be abreast with the challenges of water treatment and the quality of raw water available.
Mr Mtonga said the first step of planting Eucalyptus trees in all the eight treatments as a way of playing their part in ecosystem restoration has been taken.
This is not a one off activity they plan to ensure the planting of trees is extended to some schools in the operation area in keeping the towns green clean and healthy.
