By Staff Writer
The Ndola City Council has cautioned companies in the industrial area against dumping waste in the drainage.
The Council through the Department of Public Health has intensified inspections of companies in the industrial area to check for compliance regarding appropriate disposal of industrial waste and has cautioned companies against any wrong disposal of that waste which has the potential to lead to blocked drainage lines.
NCC Public Relations Manger Rebecca Mushota said the Department of Public Health is also engaging companies on taking more measures that will help the city manage waste better.
Ms Mushota said the intensified inspection exercise follows the dumping of various items such as tyres, plastics and a sticky discharge in the drainage on Kabwe Road near the Jacaranda Shopping Mall in the past weeks.
She said the Ndola City Council engaged Global Industries to clear the drainage this week after the company was identified as one of the entities whose waste had been dumped in the drainage.
Ms Mushota said Global Industries engaged and paid Five Star Construction to clear the drainage.
She said prior to the drainage clearing exercise, the Council discussed with Global Industries the measures the company was taking to manage waste.
“Global Industries demonstrated to the Council that its new effluent treatment plant would ensure the quality of discharge being produced is within acceptable standards and would not affect the drainage system any further.
The Department of Public Health is still talking to other industries that allegedly dumped waste in the drainage as investigations showed that other companies, other than Global Industries, had also disposed their waste in the drainage” she said.
Ms Mushota said Council has warned all the companies in the industrial area against careless disposal of waste which eventually affects the drainage system in the city and consequently affects the environment.
She said Council would penalise any company found disposing their waste without following laid down measures.
“Companies are also urged to formulate updated systems that do not only properly manage waste but also reduce the amount of waste produced.
“This is in line with promotion of green cities that are the engines in attaining green jobs and a green economy in Zambia,” she said.
