Harare's main water source is basically a sewer because nobody follows the rules. Reuben Akili, Director of the Combined Harare Residents Association, blasted the ongoing poisoning of Lake Chivero, blaming both the city council and local industries for dumping raw waste. He pointed out that the Environmental Management Act requires pre-treatment facilities, but most companies ignore this, and the city itself admits it lacks these systems. With no specific local bylaws on industrial effluent, Akili stated it is cheaper for firms to just pollute.
The city reportedly slaps violators with a mere three-hundred-dollar fine per offense, a fee recently doubled in their budget proposal to six hundred dollars. Critics argue this just makes pollution a profitable fee for the council rather than spurring actual enforcement. Environmental Management Agency spokesperson Amkela Sidange painted a grim picture of the lake's health, citing dangerously low dissolved oxygen levels and a high biological oxygen demand from a massive nutrient load. She confirmed elevated nitrate levels, directly signaling severe sewage contamination in the water body.
The city reportedly slaps violators with a mere three-hundred-dollar fine per offense, a fee recently doubled in their budget proposal to six hundred dollars. Critics argue this just makes pollution a profitable fee for the council rather than spurring actual enforcement. Environmental Management Agency spokesperson Amkela Sidange painted a grim picture of the lake's health, citing dangerously low dissolved oxygen levels and a high biological oxygen demand from a massive nutrient load. She confirmed elevated nitrate levels, directly signaling severe sewage contamination in the water body.
