Solwezi villagers suspect uranium contamination in Lumwana River

Solwezi villagers suspect uranium contamination in Lumwana River
Written by Mulimbi Mulaliki in Lumwana
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 1:30:05 AM

VILLAGERS in Lumwana in Solwezi have complained that their drinking water from Lumwana River has been contaminated. But Lumwana Mine managing director Harry Michael has said the water in the river has not been contaminated with uranium as alleged by the villagers.

During a spot check tour with area member of parliament Humphrey Mwanza, the villagers complained that their crops had also been submerged in water and the mine had cautioned them against drinking water from the river.

Speaking on behalf of the villagers, head person Kombe said she was in receipt of a letter from Lumwana Mine advising people not to drink water from the river.

"We have had floods before but people's crops have not been damaged like this. We feel the water has been contaminated with uranium. We are not just being told the truth, people are now living in fear that they might have been drinking water which contained uranium," said Kombe.

She said most people who cultivated along the banks of the river had lost their crops which included maize, cassava, groundnuts that had been submerged in water.

"Some farmers tried to harvest their maize but it has been damaged and groundnuts are looking as if they have been cooked making people suspect that the water contained uranium," said Kombe.

And Mwanza has appealed to Lumwana Mine management to put in measures that would ensure that uranium does not contaminate water in the river as many people depend on the river.

"My appeal to the mine is that let's protect the health of workers and also the villagers around the mine area," he said.

Mwanza also appealed to ECZ to investigate the allegations from the villagers that the water in the river had been contaminated.

But Michael said the mine cautioned people not to drink water from the river not because it was contaminated with uranium but it was muddy and dirty.

"There is no measurable amount of uranium in the water that would raise a safety concern either to humans, fish or animals. We have taken samples of the water and even Environmental Council of Zambia (ECZ) have done their own independent tests to prove that the water in the river has not been contaminated," said Michael.

He explained that the mine wrote letters to village headmen and chiefs, notifying them so that they could caution people as the mines were discharging water from the dam to protect its embankment wall from collapsing.

"We have had heavy rains and we called in a team from ECZ to come and assess and seek permission from them for us to discharge water from the dam and we wrote letters to caution people as this was not anticipated," said Michael.