Nema stops work at iron ore plant over pollution
The iron ore processing plant that was closed on Tuesday for failure to adhere to Nema guidelines. PHOTO / ROBERT MUHEREZA.
What you need to know:
- Sino Investments Co Ltd was cleared by Nema to conduct iron ore crushing activities in the area in 2018, after issuing an Environmental Impact Assessment.
The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) has suspended the operations of an iron ore processing plant in Buhara Sub-county, Kabale District, on grounds that it failed to implement the environmental impact assessment guidelines.
Officials from Nema, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Ministry of Water and Environment and Kabale District Local Government on Tuesday said failure by Sino Investments Co Ltd to implement the environmental impact assessment guidelines has resulted in pollution of the neighbouring Kiruruma wetland.
They raised fears of a health risk to the community if the matter is not addressed urgently.
Sino Investments Co Ltd was cleared by Nema to conduct iron ore crushing activities in the area in 2018, after issuing an Environmental Impact Assessment.
“Most of the guidelines issued to this company have been violated and at this point in time, we have suspended its operations until the violated guidelines are corrected and adhered to,” said Ms Viola Mugisha, the Nema support officer for western region.
“All the waste dumped into Kiruruma wetland has polluted the water, which has changed colour. We had advised that the mining area be fenced off and a buffer zone be put in place to protect the neighbouring villages from noise, air and water pollution but this was not done,” she explained.
However, the resident district commissioner, Mr Godfrey Nyakahuma, and the district chairperson, Mr Nelson Nshangabasheija, asked Nema officials to be lenient with the investors.
Nshangabasheija said the investor should have been issued with warning letters first before suspending their operations.
“We have instructions from President Museveni to protect investors and that is why this iron crushing plant is being guarded by the UPDF and the Uganda police,” Mr Nyakahuma said
In response, Ms Mugisha said they were not against the investor but enforcing of the guidelines.
“Investors are not above the law. Ours is to ensure that the government rules and regulations are fully implemented,” she said.
The operations manager at Sino Investment Co Ltd, Mr Brian Munanura, said they are waiting for an official letter from Nema, confirming their suspension.
Mr Munanura said the iron ore plant employs about 100 people of whom the least paid earns about 380,000 per month while the highest paid gets about Shs30m per month.
He added that the plant produces about 15,000 tonnes of crushed iron ore per month, which is transported to steel industries for production of steel products.
IRON ONE POTENTIAL
About 50 million metric tonnes of iron ore are located in Muko, Rubanda County in Kabale District.
During the 2021 election campaigns, President Museveni promised to establish an iron ore smelting factory in the area.
“It was a lie that an iron ore processing factory was to be put in Mbarara. It will be established here in Muko, Rubanda County, where the raw materials are found. In case our gas from the Albertine region delays, we shall import from Tanzania. We have been using scrap metal to get iron bars but this time we target getting iron bars from our own iron ore mineral,” Mr Museveni said.
