Environment body lists top lake polluters
Sep 25, 2007
THE National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has found that most factories inspected by its officials did not meet basic standards in terms of waste treatment.
By Gerald Tenywa
THE National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has found that most factories inspected by its officials did not meet basic standards in terms of waste treatment.
“The quality of the effluents discharged by most industries is very poor,†a report obtained byThe New Vision says.
“Basic data obtained for fish factories, tanneries, mines, food and beverage, soap and detergent, and textile factories in Uganda indicate non-compliance to heavy metals and nutrients that are discharged into water bodies and onto land.â€
NEMA is monitoring effluents on a regular basis to determine the concentration of pollution in the environment.
The 10-page report singled out fish factories as the top polluters of Lake Victoria.
“Most of the fish industries do not have appropriate effluent treatment facilities in place and those that are in existence do not adequately treat the effluents below the permissible limits,†the report states.
“Some industries have created by-passes which bypass the effluent treatment plant. Some industries do not possess the required waste water discharge permits while others do not observe the conditions outlined in the permits.â€
Fish factories not meeting the required standards, according to the report, are Uganda Fish Packers, Fish Ways, Byansi Fish Factory, Gomba Fish Industries, Green Fields, Uganda Marines, Masese Fish, Freshwater Fish, Oak Wood Fish factory, Ngege Fish Factory, Tampa Fish Factory and Tropical Fish Factory. Hwan Sung was the only fish factory found to meet the standards.
In the textile sector, none of the two factories inspected by NEMA – Nytil Textiles in Jinja and Phoenix Logistics in Bugolobi, Kampala – had a wastewater treatment plant or an effluent discharge permit, according to the report.
“Waste water from these industries is characterised by intense colour. Waste water from Nytil is passed through stabilisation ponds and released into River Nile, while waste water from Phoenix is released untreated into the Nakivubo Channel.â€
In the beverage industry, four factories were inspected. Two of them, Uganda Breweries and Century Bottlers Ltd (Coca Cola) were found to have effective waste treatment plants, while the other two, Nile Breweries and Crown Beverages, did not meet the standards.
“Nile Breweries has no waste treatment plant in place. Waste water, which is characterised by high concentrations of biological oxygen demand, is discharged into River Nile without adequate treatment,†the NEMA report says.
Crown Beverages, it adds, does not have a waste discharge permit or a waste water treatment plant.
The major fruit and food processing industries were also found wanting. None of the ones inspected, Brittania Industries, Cheers Delight, Jacana Juice Processing, Riham Biham Industries (Kawempe) and Reco Industries (Kasese), passed the NEMA test on proper waste treatment.
In the dairy sector, of the four factories visited, two (Nile Diaries Jinja and Dairy Corporation, now called Sameer Agriculture and Livestock ) were found having no waste treatment plants at all, while the one for GBK Mbarara was not functional at the time of inspection.
Uganda’s only battery manufacturing company, Uganda Batteries, also got a bad report from NEMA. It was found not meeting the required standards for discharge of waste water with respect to electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids and sulphate.
The paper industry did not do any better. The two factories visited by the team were found to have no effective treatment system.
“Papco Industry in Jinja discharges large volumes of untreated waste water into the River Nile. Global Paper Ltd discharges untreated non-toxic effluent into the Kinawataka stream,†the report says.
Of the flower farms visited by the NEMA team, only one – Rosebud Flower Farm – was found to have waste water flowing.
“Effluent from Rosebud Flower Farm does not meet the required national standards for discharge of waste water into land or water with respect of total phosphates and total nitrogen,†the report said.
The major leather tanning industry in Uganda, Uganda Leather Tanning in Jinja, stands accused of having an inappropriate system of chromium disposal.
“Chromium is buried as a method of disposal, yet the industry is just a few meters away from the lake shores. There are chances of chromium being washed away into lake water.â€
As for the mining industry, water pumped out of Kilembe mines was characterised by high concentrations of copper and manganese, according to the report, while Kasese Cobalt Company was found to release all kinds of chemicals including nitrates, sulphate, ammonia and manganese.
The report calls upon the companies to carry out environmental audits and enter into compliance agreements with NEMA.
It also urges the industries to obtain waste discharge permits and install anti-pollution equipment to treat effluents in a bid to reduce the pollution of water bodies.
THE National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has found that most factories inspected by its officials did not meet basic standards in terms of waste treatment.
“The quality of the effluents discharged by most industries is very poor,†a report obtained byThe New Vision says.
“Basic data obtained for fish factories, tanneries, mines, food and beverage, soap and detergent, and textile factories in Uganda indicate non-compliance to heavy metals and nutrients that are discharged into water bodies and onto land.â€
NEMA is monitoring effluents on a regular basis to determine the concentration of pollution in the environment.
The 10-page report singled out fish factories as the top polluters of Lake Victoria.
“Most of the fish industries do not have appropriate effluent treatment facilities in place and those that are in existence do not adequately treat the effluents below the permissible limits,†the report states.
“Some industries have created by-passes which bypass the effluent treatment plant. Some industries do not possess the required waste water discharge permits while others do not observe the conditions outlined in the permits.â€
Fish factories not meeting the required standards, according to the report, are Uganda Fish Packers, Fish Ways, Byansi Fish Factory, Gomba Fish Industries, Green Fields, Uganda Marines, Masese Fish, Freshwater Fish, Oak Wood Fish factory, Ngege Fish Factory, Tampa Fish Factory and Tropical Fish Factory. Hwan Sung was the only fish factory found to meet the standards.
In the textile sector, none of the two factories inspected by NEMA – Nytil Textiles in Jinja and Phoenix Logistics in Bugolobi, Kampala – had a wastewater treatment plant or an effluent discharge permit, according to the report.
“Waste water from these industries is characterised by intense colour. Waste water from Nytil is passed through stabilisation ponds and released into River Nile, while waste water from Phoenix is released untreated into the Nakivubo Channel.â€
In the beverage industry, four factories were inspected. Two of them, Uganda Breweries and Century Bottlers Ltd (Coca Cola) were found to have effective waste treatment plants, while the other two, Nile Breweries and Crown Beverages, did not meet the standards.
“Nile Breweries has no waste treatment plant in place. Waste water, which is characterised by high concentrations of biological oxygen demand, is discharged into River Nile without adequate treatment,†the NEMA report says.
Crown Beverages, it adds, does not have a waste discharge permit or a waste water treatment plant.
The major fruit and food processing industries were also found wanting. None of the ones inspected, Brittania Industries, Cheers Delight, Jacana Juice Processing, Riham Biham Industries (Kawempe) and Reco Industries (Kasese), passed the NEMA test on proper waste treatment.
In the dairy sector, of the four factories visited, two (Nile Diaries Jinja and Dairy Corporation, now called Sameer Agriculture and Livestock ) were found having no waste treatment plants at all, while the one for GBK Mbarara was not functional at the time of inspection.
Uganda’s only battery manufacturing company, Uganda Batteries, also got a bad report from NEMA. It was found not meeting the required standards for discharge of waste water with respect to electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids and sulphate.
The paper industry did not do any better. The two factories visited by the team were found to have no effective treatment system.
“Papco Industry in Jinja discharges large volumes of untreated waste water into the River Nile. Global Paper Ltd discharges untreated non-toxic effluent into the Kinawataka stream,†the report says.
Of the flower farms visited by the NEMA team, only one – Rosebud Flower Farm – was found to have waste water flowing.
“Effluent from Rosebud Flower Farm does not meet the required national standards for discharge of waste water into land or water with respect of total phosphates and total nitrogen,†the report said.
The major leather tanning industry in Uganda, Uganda Leather Tanning in Jinja, stands accused of having an inappropriate system of chromium disposal.
“Chromium is buried as a method of disposal, yet the industry is just a few meters away from the lake shores. There are chances of chromium being washed away into lake water.â€
As for the mining industry, water pumped out of Kilembe mines was characterised by high concentrations of copper and manganese, according to the report, while Kasese Cobalt Company was found to release all kinds of chemicals including nitrates, sulphate, ammonia and manganese.
The report calls upon the companies to carry out environmental audits and enter into compliance agreements with NEMA.
It also urges the industries to obtain waste discharge permits and install anti-pollution equipment to treat effluents in a bid to reduce the pollution of water bodies.