Explosions caused by mining by a Chinese consortium that is exploring 700 hectares in Nhamatanda are causing “serious damage” to nearby residents, warned the local population, which accuses the companies of failing to conduct environmental studies.
“This creates a lot of problems, for example, my house has cracks in the walls and I don’t even know how long they will last,” Gilberto Button, who lives near the exploration area, told Lusa.
Gilberto Button’s house is located almost 50 meters from the site, which is being explored by a Chinese consortium led by the company “Hiperbrita”, mining stones for construction in the hinterland of Nhamatanda municipality (in the so-called Bairro 5 area). ), in the province of Sofala, central Mozambique.
The operating space is located in a residential area that also includes government infrastructure, with a focus on the Electoral Technical Secretariat and Medical Center buildings.
In addition to the impact on homes closer to the exploration area, residents complain about noise pollution from constant explosions.
“Too much noise,” said Rashide da Graça, another local resident, adding that “houses are shaking” as a result of the activities of a Chinese company that sometimes operates outside legal hours, according to the population.
“Everything was done without environmental studies, and this may have consequences in the future. Explosions have their consequences and tomorrow they can cause erosion and other serious problems associated with this human activity,” warned environmentalist Farouk Manuel.
Nhamatanda Mayor António Charumar told Lusa that he was not involved in the process that resulted in the allocation of space to Chinese companies.
“I don’t know how these companies were allocated these areas, I can only consult with former directors,” Charumar said.
The Sofala Provincial Environmental Protection Agency, contacted by Lusa, said there was an order to halt the company’s operations due to its environmental impact in the region, although field operations continued.
“These are legal companies,” emphasized Ermelinda Mackenze, provincial director of the Sofala Environment Action, adding that part of the documents giving permission to the companies were destroyed by Cyclone Idai, which hit the region in March 2019.
Lusa unsuccessfully tried to contact those responsible for the consortium.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
