Coal mining pollution blamed for 15 deaths in Tete, Mozambique

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Coal mining pollution blamed for 15 deaths in Tete, Mozambique

9:17 CAT | 22 May 2017

Voa Portugues / Water in Cassoca

At least 15 people and dozens of goats have died in southern districts of Mozambique’s Tete province in recent months, allegedly from consuming water and food polluted by mining activities.

Villagers living near open-cast mines in the southeast of Changara district and in Marara and part of the Cahora Bassa district have told VOA that unexplained deaths of people and animals have been occurring since clouds of coal dust caused by blasting and coal processing by the mines descended upon rivers and houses.

“There was cholera last year, which only affected our community. Now 15 people and a lot of goats have died of undiagnosed diseases because of this coal mining,” a resident of Cassoca, an area owned by Indian firm Jindal, told VOA.

VOA witnessed polluted rivers and wells and, inside dwellings, pots of corn flour, the food staple of the majority of the population, covered with coal dust. The air is heavy with the smell of coal.

“There are diseases that are killing us. Because of coal, we have many diseases which we had never had before in this area. Clouds of coal dust enter the houses all the time now that they’re using explosives to blast coal,” Luisa Ernesto, a resident who lost a neighbour in the deaths that have hit the area, said.

Cabrito morto devido à poluição mineira, Moçambique — Goat killed by pollution (Voa)

Another resident said the population of the Nhantsanga and Chirodzi areas could no longer use streams for drinking water, despite the severe water shortage.

“Now water is a problem. We all have to use a borehole, the only source that still has unpolluted water, but the water gets tainted by the cola dust once in the house, and we think that is what is killing us,” one Abel Malunga said.

For three years, the population living within the Jindal Indian mining company concession has been waiting desperately for the resettlement promised by the company and the Mozambican government.

VOA has established that Jindal is offering those who want to leave the concession area 2,000 meticais (US$33 dollars) a month for the purchase of fresh milk or rental of a house, but the offer does not cover the entire population affected by situation.

The firm has not commented on some deaths in its concession area, and VOA was unable to secure a comment from the Tete provincial health authorities, which has yet to react to residents’ concerns.

Source: Voa Portugues