THE Environmental Management Agency (Ema) has engaged the Zimbabwe Power Company to find ways of minimising dust pollution at the Hwange Power Station expansion project following concerns by residents living close to the coal mining zone.
Last week residents of Ingagula suburb in Hwange said their living conditions continued to deteriorate due to health hazards posed by the on-going work on ZPC’s Hwange Power Station Units 7 and 8 and the Deka Pipeline Upgrade projects. Ema’s Matabeleland North provincial manager Chipo Mpofu-Zuze said the agency was aware of the residents’ concerns.
“The relocation of the residents of Ingagula is one of the agreed actions to be done by the project proponents to address the issue of dust emission emanating mainly from haul roads, ZPC ash dams and stack emissions,” Mpofu-Zuze said.
She added: “The agency has been engaging ZPC to ensure that they install pollution abatement measures in the new power plant. As a result, the new power plant has installed air pollution measures to mitigate against air pollution.
“On commissioning, the agency will ensure that the measures are put in place and are effectively used to reduce pollution. We did the same type of engagements with other players implementing a thermal power ZZEE and it yielded very good and evident results. ZPC is currently working on refurbishment of Unit 1 to 6 and this will also see a change in fugitive dust and visual ambiance.”
Mpofu-Zuze said due to the agency’s engagements, a committee chaired by ZPC Hwange Thermal Power Station was set up to co-ordinate other players to ensure dust suppression on haul roads. She said the committee comprised ZPC and coal miners that supply ZPC with coal which take turns to carry out dust suppression.
“Ema plays an oversight role of ensuring that dust suppression is done regularly. Non-adherence attracts an environmental protection order and or a ticket,” Mpofu-Zuze said
ZPC last month said it was putting final touches to Hwange Power Station Units 7 and 8 and the Deka Pipeline Upgrade projects. The project officially started in October last year. It was funded to the tune of US$48,1m from a credit line extended by India to Zimbabwe.
More than 400 Ingagula residents were promised relocation to the Empumalanga suburb before the operationalisation of Hwange Power Station’s Units 7 and 8. ZPC in May 2021 said it required about US$60 million to relocate the families from the suburb near Hwange Thermal Power Station.
The suburb has been in existence for decades with residents exposed to air pollution. Hwange workers committee chairperson Xolani Nyoni last week said the relocation of residents had stalled.
“Trucks rumble throughout the night and day lifting coal dust and causing noise pollution. The roads are damaged and our water and food gets contaminated even during cooking. When you wash clothes, they turn black while on the washing line due to coal dust,” he said.
Greater Hwange Residents Trust chairperson Fidelis Chima said the residents continued to be exposed to coal emissions from the thermal power plants, haulage trucks, ash dams and surrounding coke plants making them prone to coal-related ailments such as asthma and pneumoconiosis.
ZPC recently said the construction of homes under the Relocation Action Plan was progressing well with most structures now at roof level.
“ZPC has completed construction of 17 homes for the second group of 72 households that had to be moved to make place for the 335-kilometre Hwange-Insukamini transmission line. The 17 houses are ready for handover. The first lot of 12 houses was handed over in February 2022,” ZPC said.
Source Newsday
