A three-and-a-half-month environmental auditing by the National Environment Management Council (NEMC) revealed that 86 per cent of 200 audited firms in the Lake Zone regions of Geita, Mwanza, Simiyu, Kagera, Shinyanga and Mara did not comply with environmental regulations.
This is not good news for the Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest. The lake is already facing other environmental challenges including the impact of climate change. And polluting it with industrial effluents is not a story that one needs to hear at this particular time.
Eng. Bonaventure Baya, the Director General of the National Environment Management Council (NEMC), says an environmental impact assessment carried out by NEMC in the lake zone indicated that only two percent of the assessed firms complied with environmental regulations.
Addressing environmental stakeholders in the Mwanza city on the shores Lake Victoria, Eng. Baya said: “The environmental assessment was carried out in major economic activities including mining, fuel stations, hotels, industries and motor vehicle garages.”
Although Eng. Baya was not categorical about the destination of wastes released by these firms, the most likely destination is the Lake Victoria shared by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
But it was evident that the assessed firms that did not comply with environmental regulations posed a threat to the ecosystem particularly the ecological, aquatic and the terrestrial within the Lake Zone.
The assessment revealed that most of the mining firms disposed toxic substances to surrounding water sources. This should be including Lake Victoria.
Most of the mining firms are certified and registered in accordance with our environmental laws but they don’t comply with the agreed environmental conservation measures. This is pure fact.
There is also poor disposal of solid waste including plastic and polythene wastes which are ``unnatural and not easily synthesized since they were not dissolvable in the natural soil.
To rectify this sorry situation, NEMC should make sure that an initiative by the Cleaner Production Centre of Tanzania (CPCT) to promote resource efficiency and cleaner production technologies and techniques in industries within the Lake Victoria Basin is a must for all firms.
The cleaner production project in Tanzania started in August 2010 focusing mainly on industries located in Bukoba and Musoma municipalities, and Mwanza city.
To date, a good number of industries within the Lake Victoria Basin have started embracing the concept of resource efficient and cleaner production aimed at reducing pollution in Lake Victoria.
Cleaner production is a good concept because it gives you room to measure efficiency by yourself. The right way is to minimise whatever possible.
Cleaner production is a constructive tool in terms of managing operations, efficiency, cost benefits and waste reduction. It is simple to implement and practical.
Indeed, cleaner production should be adopted by all and sundry since it is intended to help reduce waste generation, improve workplace environment and reduce emissions and discharges to the environment for the benefit of communities living around business activities, particularly factories.
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