Millions of people can be affected by a large, spam, a major river, in Zambia, and the authorities are concerned about the potential impact on the long term.
What is happening?
As is detailed before Associated PressThe researchers from the engineering establishment in Zambia decided that the acid leakage on a Chinese -owned copper mine on February 18.
while I noticed AP The authorities are still investigating the full term of the environmental damage caused by the accident, as there is already anxiety causes after washing dead fish on the beach and the signs of pollution were found at least 60 miles from the acid spill site.
Zambian President Haknde Hishilma Ap said He is seeking help from experts and describing the situation as “a crisis that threatens people and wildlife along the café.” It was not alone in assessing the size of this case.
“It is a truly environmental catastrophe with severe consequences,” Celicoa Mumba, an environmental activist working in the Copperlet County in Zambia, Ap said.
Why is this important?
Zambia is home to 20 million people, and I mentioned AP About 60 % of the population lives in the Cavo River basin. The river provides drinking water for about five million people, and it is a vital source of fishing and irrigation for agriculture and water for the industry.
In the city of KitWe, which includes an estimated 700,000 people, water supply has already been completely closed due to the leakage of the acid from the copper mine managed by Leach Zambia Chinese minerals, which the majority owned by the unauthorized mineral industry group.
Zambia is among the 10 best copper producers in the world, and it is an essential element in smartphone production and other technology. This has caused China Creating foothold In Zambia to remove copper and other minerals, despite repeated criticism and increased discontent with its presence within the African nation.
“It really highlights the neglect that some investors actually enjoy when it comes to protecting the environment.” Ap said. “They don’t seem to have any concern at all, that is, any respect at all. I think it is really worrying because at the end of the day, we are like a Zambian people, (it’s) the only land we have.”
In addition to the effect on the livelihood of the population dependent on the Cavo River, acid spill also had a major environmental effect and caused deaths between marine wildlife as well as destroying crops along the banks of the river. The extent of pollution raised concerns between the authorities that are now afraid that mining waste can leak to the ground or transport to other regions.
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Sean Cornellius, who lives near the cafeio, Ap said This fish died and the life of birds disappeared near it as soon as the acid spills.
“Before February 18 this was a vital and vital river,” Cornellius He said. “Now everything has died, it’s like a completely dead river. I do not believe. Overnight, this river died.”
What is done about this?
Hoping to confront the acid and relieve damage, the Zambian government called on the Air Force to drop “hundreds of tons” from lime in the Cavo River, For each AP. The government spokesperson explained that the Leach-Meetals Leach Zambia will be on a hook to finance the cleaning process, and President Zhang Peiwen met with government officials to apologize for acid spilled.
“This catastrophe has succeeded in a great warning to the Chinese penetration and the mining industry,” Peiwen He said at the meetingAdding that the company “will go to restore the affected environment as quickly as possible.”
However, the situation has attracted the anger of social media users who were disappointed to find out the environmental damage caused by acid leakage.
“This is the largest [and] The longest river in Zambia and a large part of it [ecosystem]. This is a huge environmental disaster “user Posted on X.
“Sage to see the devastating effect of this spill,” another user books. “The environment deserves better.”
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