Zambia's Kafue river contaminated: An incident of an acid spill at a Chinese-owned mine has reportedly led to the contamination of the Kafue River, a major waterway in Zambia, potentially impacting millions of people. Authorities and environmentalists in the southern African country fear the long-term impact of the acid spill, as signs of pollution were detected at least 100 kilometres (60 miles) downstream.
According to investigators from the Engineering Institution of Zambia, a tailings dam that holds acidic waste from a copper mine in the north of the country collapsed on February 18.
How the river got contaminated?
Due to the collapse of the dam, almost 50 million litres of waste containing concentrated acid, along with solids and heavy metals, got mixed with a stream that links to the Kafue River, Zambia’s most important waterway, the engineering institution said.
“It is an environmental disaster really of catastrophic consequences,” said Chilekwa Mumba, an environmental activist who works in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province.
Notably, China has emerged as the major player in copper mining in Zambia, which features among the top 10 copper-producing countries in the world, which is a key component in smartphones and other technology.
According to a ground report by the Associated Press, dead fish could be seen washing up on the banks about 100 kilometres (60 miles) downstream from the mine run by Sino-Metals Leach Zambia, which is majorly owned by the state-run China Nonferrous Metals Industry Group.
Significance of Kafue river for Zambian population
About 60% of Zambia’s 20 million people live in the Kafue River basin and depend on it in some way as a source of fishing, irrigation for agriculture, and water for industry. The river supplies drinking water to about five million people, including in the capital, Lusaka.
The Zambian government has deployed the air force to drop hundreds of tons of lime into the river in an attempt to counteract the acid and roll back the damage. Speed boats have also been used to ride up and down the river, applying lime.
(With inputs from AP)
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