Tuesday, 10 January 2012

Enviroment Pollution in Swaziland on Monday, 09 January, 2012 at 08:17 (08:17 AM) UTC.

A chemical that spilled into a water source has killed hundreds of fish in the past week. The dead fish were visibly seen floating along a canal from the sugar mill that passes through Nyetane to neighbouring areas such as Sivungu and Magwanyana. Approximately 5 000 people, mostly those who are employed by Illovo Ubombo Sugar, live in these areas. Further downstream, a sugarcane farming association called Mavalela Farmers Association uses the water to irrigate its fields. However, it is yet to be established if the chemical has the same effects on human beings and on the environment. During a site visit to the canal, this reporter was met by a strong smell that emanated from inside the canals. It was impossible to tell if the smell was of the dead shiny silver creatures which were floating or it was the chemical in the water. Some of the fish were trapped among the vegetation growing inside the canal, making it impossible to float through. A large ‘consignment’ was found near a water pump that draws water into the Sivungu Dam a few metres away.

In turn, the water from Sivungu Dam is consumed by approximately 1 000 people from about 100 homesteads. Some residents interviewed said each household has at most 15 people, but not less than 10. At the water pump, two men were found pulling out the dead fish using a long rod that had a sieve at the far end. After removing the fish from the canal, they deposited them on the bank. Bheki Maziya said they had been instructed by their supervisors to remove the fish from the canal. "We have been doing this for the past two days, since Tuesday. "If you had come earlier, you would have been shocked at the number of dead fish," Maziya said. He said they were warned not to take the fish home because the cause of their death was still unknown. With temperatures reaching about 28 degrees Celsius, Maziya and his colleague, Sipho Mbhamali continued with their ‘fishing’.

- RSOE EDIS

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