Environment watchdog raises the alarm on pollution of rivers on the Copperbelt, calls for sanctions

A Non-Governmental Organization, Lighthouse Foundation, has expressed concern over the continuous poisoning of water and environmental damage at some mining plants located on the Copperbelt.

Organization Founder, Emily Nalwamba, said the absence of government intervention had resulted in an increasing number of environmental catastrophes that threaten the livelihoods of many communities in the region.

Nalwamba in a statement issued in Lusaka on Monday said the Zambia Land Alliance made a distressing discovery on Friday of dead fish, contaminated water, and dying vegetation as a result of mining activity in one of the rivers in the province.

She said this was the fourth time this year alone that this occurrence had been reported.

“Such environmental damage has the potential to deeply impact the health and well-being of the people who depend upon these resources, as well as the long-term viability of the land and the ecological systems that rely on them,” Nalwamba said.

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She claimed that regulatory bodies like the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) and the Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA) had been ineffective in preventing the unlawful release of harmful compounds into rivers and the environment.

“The government must take necessary actions against mining companies that are endangering aquatic life and the livelihoods of those who depend on these resources, “Nalwamba said.

She said her organisation was committed to ensuring that such environmental destruction was stopped and for the affected communities to have access to sustainable and healthy living conditions.

Nalwamba called on all governmental regulatory bodies to take appropriate and immediate actions to protect the environment and to enforce all the laws and regulations that govern mining operations in Zambia.

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