adminPatrick Chitumba Senior Reporter
BULAWAYO City Council has written to government seeking borrowing powers to raise $13,3 million from financial institutions to purify rivers that are spilling raw sewage and hazardous effluent into the Umguza catchment area.Council also intends to use part of the funds to fix broken sewer pipes in Nkulumane and Sauerstown suburbs.
In an interview yesterday, Bulawayo mayor, Councillor Martin Moyo, called on companies that are polluting the Umguza catchment area to set up waste purification plants.
Clr Moyo denied that a health disaster was looming in Bulawayo saying the affected water bodies – Mazai and Pekiwe rivers – were downstream in the Umguza catchment, far from the city’s water sources.
“We have applied for borrowing powers from the government so that we are able to raise $13,3 million to fix burst sewer pipes in Nkulumane and Sauerstown which are spilling raw sewage into Mazai and Pekiwe rivers. These rivers then spill into Umguza River polluting it in the process.
“Once we have done away with the sewer burst pipes, we want to de-pollute Mazai and Pekiwe rivers,” he said.
Clr Moyo said council was concerned about the level of pollution in the Umguza catchment area but was quick to note that Bulawayo’s water sources were not downstream.
“Let me reiterate that we are not drinking polluted water. There is no health disaster looming for Bulawayo. Yes it might be there for the people who might drink water downstream in Nyamandlovu and we are concerned about their health but for Bulawayo residents, they are drinking safe water. Our drinking water is coming from the east and the sewage and hazardous effluent are flowing to the west,” he said.
Clr Moyo said a Cabinet taskforce on pollution was assisting council in solving the pollution problem.
The taskforce, which is chaired by Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo and comprises five ministries including Health and Child Care, Environment, Water and Climate, Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, is assisting the council in solving the pollution problem.
A recent report prepared by the cabinet taskforce on the pollution of Umguza River and its tributaries exposed an environmental disaster that is unfolding in the affected areas.
Companies fingered in the report of the Cabinet Committee taskforce include Delta Beverages, Schweppes, Ingwebu Breweries, Colcom, CSC, Treger, Kango and United Refineries.
The report indicated that industrial discharge fell in the “Red Class” under Environmental Management Agency disposal limits, with the municipality and companies dumping phosphates, ammonia and nitrates in drinking water.
Some of the chemicals were said to cause diseases such as cancer and blue baby syndrome, a heart defect in newborns.
Clr Moyo said city health inspectors would go around the companies inspecting their premises to see if they had waste purification plants.
“Tickets will be issued and if they continue to release hazardous chemicals, we will take stiffer action,” he said.
Online Reporter