The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has penalised several Bulawayo companies for illegally discharging raw effluent into rivers and streams, thereby placing the city in danger of outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
EMA director-general Mutsa Chasi yesterday said her organisation had clamped down on offending companies. Bulawayo City Council (BCC) had been fined $5 000 for polluting water.
“Lobels, Delta Beverages Belmont and Montana Meats have already been ticketed $500 each for illegally discharging effluent into a public stream via drainage,” said Chasi in a report at the Association for Business in Zimbabwe meeting last week.
“BCC was ticketed $5 000 for discharging raw sewage at five different locations.”
Chasi’s report cited hospitals, clinics and surgeries, manufacturing firms, food processing companies and motor industries as major culprits.
“Part of the cholera and typhoid outbreak is caused by this discharge of raw sewage into rivers. This waste should not be dumped into rivers especially those which people are going to drink from or use the water for domestic purposes,” Chasi said.
She said water along the Matsheumhlophe River had turned into a dark colour due to industrial waste dumped into it.
The river was particularly discoloured at the point where it crosses the 12th Avenue extension in Belmont.
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