EMA concerned about water pollution in urban areas

Diana Nherera

THE Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has said water pollution is very common in all the rivers that pass through the country’s urban areas.

Speaking at the Parliamentary Environment-Water Policy Dialogue Forum in Harare today, EMA assistant manager for Harare Province, Mr Gilbert Mugunzva, stated that in Harare, there are the Manyame and Mukuvisi rivers.

“In Masvingo, we have our Shagashe and Mucheke rivers, in Bulawayo, we have got Umguza River and in Manicaland, we’ve got the Mutare River, which are all polluted because of the sewer discharges emanating from our wastewater or sewer facilities,” he said.

Mr Mugunzva said Lake Chivero experiences fish deaths between the first two weeks of December to early December.

“So we are waiting to see what is going to happen this year. Last year, it affected the fish and other affected other animals; the zebras and rhinos. That was due to the pollution that is affecting our water sources,” he said.