Kabwe lead pollution has reduced - ZCCM-IH

Kabwe lead pollution has reduced - ZCCM-IH
By Gillian Namungala
Sunday October 14, 2007 [04:00]

LEVELS of lead pollution in most parts of Kabwe town have reduced, Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH) environmental coordination unit project manager Joseph Kabwe has said. But findings by the Advocacy for Environmental Restoration Zambia (AREZ) have revealed that Kabwe is still the 10th most lead polluted town in the world. During a workshop organised by AREZ, Kabwe described the lead mitigation project as a success.

“The lead in most areas that were affected has reduced and we hope that there will be a further reduction with time,” Kabwe said.
He catalogued the training of doctors in leadchology, rehabilitation of boreholes in lead affected compounds, greening of grass and the creation of play parks for children as some of the successes of the project.

Kabwe further said six groups of women had been funded to help them engage in income generating activities as a way of preventing scavenging at dumping sites that were highly polluted with lead.
He said ZCCM-IH would soon tar the Lukanga Road leading to Lukanga Swamps to reduce lead in the dust.

However, Kabwe said as long as the source of the lead pollution - soil - was not contained, the lead levels would remain high.
He said before ZCCM-IH hands over the project, it would ensure that the council had the capacity to sustain it.

“We know that the council has no capacity to carry out those projects so we want to assist them before handing over these projects,” he said.

But Kabwe Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) chairperson Wilfred Wonani argued that despite recording some successes in some projects others had made less impact.

Some projects such as the allocation of land in lead polluted areas and the greening of grass when people had no water were criticised by most Kabwe residents.