RESIDENTS of Kambuzuma have written to the Minister of Environment, Water and Climate seeking the ministry’s intervention to stop the construction of a fuel station on a wetland located in the area.
By Edgar Gweshe
In the letter, the residents who are being represented by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) argued that the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) erred in giving Gulf Energy the green light to construct on the wetland located at Number 2907 Gokora Street.
The residents said EMA failed to put into consideration the importance of wetlands while disregarding a report from an expert which highlighted that the construction of the fuel station will interfere with the hydrogeology of the area.
“The Environmental Impact Assessment reports submitted overlooked the significant impact on ground water as it failed to suggest feasible mitigation measures to address these impacts. In approving the project, the Agency failed to fully take into account the functions of a wetland to the general environment and more importantly the water supply situation in Harare.
“The wetland acts as a reservoir for the catchment of Lake Chivero which supplies water to Harare residents. Destroying Stand Number 2907 Gokora Street also known as Kuwadzana Section 2 park wetland as envisaged by the developer will greatly worsen the water challenges in Harare,” read part of the letter.
EMA is on record saying they consulted widely before approving construction on the wetland. However, Kambuzuma residents under the area’s Local Environmental Action Plan (LEAP) Committee, argue that they were never consulted.
According to the Kambuzuma residents, the EIA certificate which authorized construction on the wetland was inadequate and violates the law.
“The Environmental Impact Assessment was inadequate in that it failed to adequately describe the mitigation measures to address the negative impacts arising from construction on this key wetland.
“The EIA report does not comply with the law. The project is being implemented on a key wetland in Harare as admitted in the report. The EIA report however, glosses over this by emphasising on the fact that the project is not being carried out at the core of the wetland. The Agency should have regarded the whole area as a wetland which should be protected from development,” read the letter.
Wetlands are the major source of water for Harare after run-off.
However, the water sources have of late been under threat with the Harare Wetlands Trust launching an ambitious project to protect wetlands.
EMA has come under fire from the Kambuzuma residents who are blaming the agency for failing to “take into account the need to manage the environment”.
“Damage to a wetland is irreparable. Authorising the project indicates that the Agency has placed the interests of capital above those of the environment. The project area should be preserved in its natural state.
“Appellant prays that the decision of the Agency to grant the EIA certificate be set aside and substituted with a decision rejecting the proposed project,” argued the residents.
