Veld fires have destroyed more than 16 000 hectares of land in the Midlands province since the beginning of the fire season, an Environmental Management Agency (EMA) official has said.
BY Stephen Chadenga
EMA provincial publicity officer, Timothy Nyoka said most of the veld fires were caused by people clearing land for agricultural purposes.
“Over 16 000 hectares of land has been destroyed since the beginning of the fire season,” he said. “The majority of cases are caused by people who clear land for farming.”
At the recent launch of the Midlands veld fires campaigns in Somabhula, Nyoka said farmers should construct fire guards around their land to prevent the spread of veld fires.
The Environment ministry secretary, Prince Mupazviriho was last week quoted saying 776 fire incidents were recorded since the beginning of the fire season on July 31, with 435 170 hectares of land destroyed countrywide.
According to EMA, over 1 million hectares of land is lost every year through veld fires.
