Thu, 31 Aug 2017 14:40:19 +0000
By Jackson Mapapayi
THE spillage of sulphuric acid into the Kifubwa River in Solwezi after a truck carrying the material got involved in an accident has been contained.
This follows a quick action by various stakeholders such as the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit, the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA), the North Western Water Supply and Sewerage Company and Kansanshi Mine Limited.
On Sunday, there was acid spillage at Kifubwa River bridge after a truck carrying sulphuric acid belonging to Kansanshi Mine lost control and hit into the bridge and damaged the tanker which then spilled the acid into the river.
And Minister of Water Development Lloyd Kaziya said he was happy that various stakeholders came in good time to avert calamities, adding that the reaction from the stakeholders was overwhelming.
Mr Kaziya who visited the scene with provincial minister Richard Kapita, ZEMA director general John Msimuko, and officials from the North Western Water and Sewerage Company said lives would have been lost as a result of the pollution.
He said assessments were being done to ascertain what transpired and see to it that the affected people were compensated.
“We are going to sit down with the transporter and the people involved in the transportation of the sulphuric acid so that we strike a balance,” Mr Kaziya said.
And Mr Msimuko said an assessment was being done to measure damage to the environment.
“Any other thing above that will be determined by the scientific measurements that have been conducted since the day the accident occurred,” he said.
Meanwhile, NWWSC has assured the general public that the water being supplied by the water utility company was safe.
