Police, EMA raise alarm over tall grass in urban areas

POLICE in Mashonaland Central Province, working with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), have launched an awareness campaign targeting the proliferation of tall grass in residential areas and open spaces, citing growing security, road safety and public health risks.

The campaign follows the recent recovery of firearms and machetes hidden in tall grass along the Mazowe highway, raising alarm over criminal activities linked to poorly maintained urban environments.

Speaking at the launch, Mashonaland Central provincial police spokesperson Inspector Milton Mundembe said overgrown grass was increasingly being used by criminals to conceal illegal activities such as smash-and-grab incidents, theft and drug abuse, particularly along highways, road verges and neglected open spaces.

"Tall grass creates hiding places for criminals and increases insecurity in urban areas. Recently, we recovered firearms hidden in tall grass along the Mazowe highway," said Inspector Mundembe.

He added that overgrown vegetation also poses a road safety hazard by obstructing the visibility of traffic signs and intersections, contributing to road accidents.

"We are encouraging local authorities to regularly cut grass at intersections to improve visibility for motorists and reduce road crashes," he said.

Inspector Mundembe noted that criminals were also taking advantage of tall grass to engage in drug and substance abuse. He said semi-finished and unoccupied houses with overgrown yards had become hotspots for criminal activity.

The police spokesperson also raised concerns over child safety during the rainy season, warning that waterlogged surroundings, blocked drains and swollen streams increase the risk of drowning, particularly for young children.

"Guardians must be vigilant and ensure children are accompanied to school, especially in areas with tall grass and waterlogged surroundings. Robberies are on the rise, and police have intensified patrols," he said.

Mashonaland Central Provincial Environmental Education and Publicity Officer Mr Maxwell Mupotsa said neglected open spaces encourage open defecation, indiscriminate littering and illegal dumping, creating unsanitary conditions.

He warned that tall grass combined with accumulated litter provides breeding grounds for nuisance vectors such as mosquitoes, flies and rodents, increasing the risk of vector-borne and water-borne diseases during the rainy season.

"Many residents are now using overgrown areas as dumping sites for refuse such as pampers and other household waste, particularly when waste collection services are delayed," said Mr Mupotsa.

"The combination of tall grass and illegal dumping poses an environmental eyesore and a serious public health threat, with potential outbreaks of diseases such as typhoid and cholera."

EMA has urged all local authorities to urgently cut grass and maintain urban open spaces, stressing that environmental cleanliness is both a statutory obligation and a key factor in crime prevention and disease control.

Mr Mupotsa said clean, safe and orderly environments are central to achieving the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) objectives on public health, safety and sustainable human settlements.

Police and EMA have appealed to residents to take collective responsibility for maintaining clean surroundings by cutting grass and avoiding littering, saying improved environmental management is critical to enhancing public safety and quality of life.