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Mashonaland West Bureau
Kariba Municipality has been fined $2 000 for discharging raw effluent into streams and the environment.

The magistrates’ court in the resort town also directed the local authority to repair all its manholes by October 30.

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) in Mashonaland West dragged the municipality to court for contravening Section 57 of the Environmental Management Act by illegally discharging raw sewage into the environment.

The municipality was also accused of operating without an effluent disposal licence in contravention of Section 60 of the same Act.

According to information from EMA, an inspection was carried out in Nyamhunga on April 27, 2018, where it was observed that the municipality was discharging raw sewage into Kariba Dam tributary.

An order was served for the municipality to submit a sewer rehabilitation plan and to repair all discharging manholes by May 28 of the same year while a ticket was issued for the offence.

The municipality reportedly submitted a sewer rehabilitation plan to EMA indicating that the local authority would have rectified the challenges in the town by June 30, 2018.

EMA, however, conducted three other inspections in Nyamhunga on October 8, 2018 and it was observed that raw sewage was being discharged directly into the stream which flows into Lake Kariba.

Other perennial sewer bursts were identified close to House No. 1619 Nyamhunga 3 while there is evidence of sewage infested water flowing in a stream through a bridge which links Nyamhunga Shopping Centre and Nyamhunga 3 Residential Area.

Another sewage flow was also noted near Swift and Delta Beverages Area with EMA indicating this was a perennial problem while the municipality had failed attended to it despite the reports made.

EMA also discovered that Nyamhunga Primary School sometimes experience sewage flow in and around the school premise while the municipality has failed to provide a lasting solution to the problem which continuously poses a health risk to the school learners and general populace.