Bad rice, groundnuts factories closed in Karonga

The Karonga Town Council has shut down 11 rice and groundnut shelling operations for not adhering to waste management regulations.

The Chairperson of the Town Council, Baleke Maholo, stated that the operators have been discarding rice and groundnut waste along the roads instead of transporting it to the designated disposal site at Katili, which poses an environmental hazard.

Maholo mentioned that the businesses that have been closed will only be permitted to reopen once they comply with the council’s directives, cautioning that those who resume operations without authorization will incur a fine of K500,000, while vehicle owners caught dumping waste along the M1 Road will face a K200,000 penalty.

He also noted that the council intends to find a suitable location outside the town for the relocation of all shelling businesses.

In the meantime, Felix Mwakiyanjala, Chairperson of the Maize, Rice and Groundnuts Association, expressed support for the council’s decision but urged them to expedite the relocation plans for the businesses to a designated area.