Does transportation of coal in open wagons pose a health risk? – Cuamba, Mozambique

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Does transportation of coal in open wagons pose a health risk? – Cuamba, Mozambique

12:01 CAT | 25 Oct 2017

DW / Danger? Cuamba residents coexist with open wagon coal trains

Daily, open-wagon coal trains pass by the houses of the residents of Cuamba. The dark soot that the trains leave in their wake worries the population. Who can guarantee that nothing untoward will happen?

At a public hearing last month in the municipality of Cuamba in Niassa province, residents expressed concern about potential health risks from dust from coal transported in open railway wagons close to their dwellings.

Malema mayor Angelo Fonseca, who attended the hearing as a guest, said he too was worried about the situation. “The coal is being transported in open wagons, whereas I believe best practice is for coal to have tarpaulin covers to protect people living along rail corridors,” he said.

Long-term effects

Coal in open wagons passes by Isidro Ismael’s house in Cuamba, and he worries about the long-term effects of this daily exposure.

“I am one of the victims. I live just metres from the railway line. It is a very serious concern. It may not seem a very worrying issue right now, but over time there may be negative effects on the health of those of us who live along the railroad. The way the coal is transported is really very dangerous,” he said.

Another citizen who fears the effects of coal dust, Joaquim Patrício, says that the issue is ‘a stone in his shoe’. He believes that in three to five years’ time the population will face a public health situation because of the way the coal is transported.

Transport von Steinkohle, Mosambik (DW/Manuel David)

No health risk

But Cuamba mayor Filipe Zacarias reassures residents that coal is also usually transported in open wagons in other countries, and that after meetings with specialists from the Integrated Logistics Corridor of Nacala (CLN) and the Northern Development Corridor (CDN), companies involved in coal transport, he was more confident.

“We have had regular meetings with CLN and CDN and have raised these concerns, and they have assured us that coal does not represent a risk by being transported without covers,” he said.

Always alert

But environmentalist Faustino Faceira working in the Niassa network of organisations for sustainable development warns that care must be taken. “In fact, the situation is one of air pollution, in which effects occur in the long run. Poor quality air can cause many diseases,” he warned.

Source: Deutsche Welle