EMA water pollution deadline extended

28 Sep, 2014 - 00:09 0 Views

The Sunday News

THE Government has extended the deadline for local companies to comply with Environmental Management Agency (EMA) regulations on water pollution to 15 November after the companies pleaded with Government to be given ample time, environmental pollution director Mr Aaron Chigona has said.
The Government recently set up an inter-ministerial Cabinet Committee on Water Pollution led by Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Dr Ignatius Chombo to spearhead the compliance of companies with EMA regulations.

The Cabinet Committee also includes the ministries of Finance and Economic Development; Energy and Power Development; Industry and Commerce; Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development; Mines and Mining Development and Health and Child Care.

Companies which pollute the environment were given up to 31 August to comply with the new environment regulations.

The Government had threatened to close or take remedial action on non-complying companies.
In an interview, Mr Chigona said the Government recently extended the deadline to 15 November following submissions by companies indicating that it was not feasible for them to comply with EMA regulations without approval from local authorities within which the companies were operating from.

“The deadline has been extended to mid-November. This is because the companies pleaded with the Government to give them more time to procedurally comply with the regulations without compromising council or local authority regulations.

“Some of the companies indicated that for them to fully comply with the regulations there was a need for them to put up new infrastructure and this required approval by local authorities within which the companies were operating from,” he said.

Mr Chigona said EMA was, however, monitoring progress and commitment by the companies that have asked for the extension of the deadline.

“We are keeping tabs on companies and we have reports from the companies that have been instructed to comply with EMA regulations.

“We will assess the situation once the ultimatum expires in November,” he said.
Failure to comply with EMA regulations can attract a fine of about $5 000. EMA can also order the suspension of operations by a defiant company.

In 2002 the World Health Organisation estimated that more people were dying from unsafe water annually than from all forms of violence including war.

Most of the waterways in the country, including rivers, dams and lakes are at risk but the heavily affected ones are Lake Chivero in Harare and Khami Dam in Bulawayo.

The pollution of water in Zimbabwe is very serious and this is evident through the proliferation of aquatic weeds in the country’s water bodies. Waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid are also common while diseases caused by bacteria that thrive under unhygienic environments are rampant.

 

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