Enviro groups had a point

THE announcement this week that the City of Windhoek was to take over waste disposal management at Ramatex because of underground water pollution represents something of a victory to environmental groups who have long charged that the textile factory was culpable in this regard.

According to the Corporate Communications Manager at the City of Windhoek, Ndangi Katoma, it has been established that environmental concerns were legitimate, especially in the area close to the Ramatex factory. He confirmed that the City would soon start to transfer sludge from water ponds at Ramatex to the Kupferberg dumpsite outside Windhoek, at the cost of the Malaysian-owned company.There were various threats made, including legal action, from high Government quarters, against environmentalists and the media who alleged pollution at the controversial Ramatex site.Denials of these claims came thick and fast – even at political rallies.However, it appears now that they were in fact correct in raising alarm about pollution in the area surrounding the textile factory.The City’s decision to take over waste management there will undoubtedly come as a relief to residents of areas such as Otjomuise and Gammams, which border on the textile plant.We welcome the decision, but call on the City fathers to look beyond underground water pollution.Over the years residents close to the factory have complained about air pollution and the negative impact it has on them, especially their children.We have had reports about skin rashes and asthma attacks among children in the area shortly after Ramatex started operating.A thorough study, which will include interviews with residents, is surely long overdue.The Municipal spokesperson also said the Municipality continued to monitor the factory’s impact on groundwater on a three-monthly basis, making use of monitoring drill stations situated in the surrounding area.”Using these drill stations, the City has determined that there is some pollution of the groundwater, but it is only in the immediate area surrounding the factory”, Katoma said.He added that Government had already made available funds to reconstruct some of the areas affected by the pollution.The textile factory uses large evaporation ponds to store wastewater.These ponds are believed to have overflowed on a few occasions, resulting in its contents mixing with water that flowed into the Goreangab Dam.Even though water contamination from the factory may be said to be limited to its immediate surroundings, there is still cause for concern, and some urgency is required for the Municipality to speed up the decision to take over the waste management there.Earthlife Namibia was one of the groups which had earlier expressed concern and urged action over pollution at Ramatex.They were met with a barrage of criticism from people such as former President Sam Nujoma and even Windhoek’s Mayor, Matheus Shikongo.They were, among other things, accused of trying to “throw a spanner in the wheels of economic development”, as well as spreading propaganda by questioning Government’s commitment to the environment.Now that their concerns have been proven to be justified, an apology from those who berated Earthlife for raising awareness about the problem would be in order.Environmental issues are often overlooked in Namibia, particularly when the concerns appear to threaten economic projects, such as the one at Ramatex.While business development in Namibia remains very important to the country as a whole, we cannot afford to jeopardise the environment or overlook concerns about it, simply for the short-term goal of boosting economic development.It remains vitally important for the future that Government consider all the issues around such developments, whether they be in regard to textile manufacturing, mining or other projects, and ensure that proper, independent, feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments are done and thoroughly perused before developments are given the nod of approval.With Ramatex, we started off on the wrong footing when no thorough environmental assessment study was done in the haste to beat off competition from SA, which also wanted the investment there!He confirmed that the City would soon start to transfer sludge from water ponds at Ramatex to the Kupferberg dumpsite outside Windhoek, at the cost of the Malaysian-owned company.There were various threats made, including legal action, from high Government quarters, against environmentalists and the media who alleged pollution at the controversial Ramatex site.Denials of these claims came thick and fast – even at political rallies.However, it appears now that they were in fact correct in raising alarm about pollution in the area surrounding the textile factory.The City’s decision to take over waste management there will undoubtedly come as a relief to residents of areas such as Otjomuise and Gammams, which border on the textile plant.We welcome the decision, but call on the City fathers to look beyond underground water pollution.Over the years residents close to the factory have complained about air pollution and the negative impact it has on them, especially their children.We have had reports about skin rashes and asthma attacks among children in the area shortly after Ramatex started operating.A thorough study, which will include interviews with residents, is surely long overdue.The Municipal spokesperson also said the Municipality continued to monitor the factory’s impact on groundwater on a three-monthly basis, making use of monitoring drill stations situated in the surrounding area.”Using these drill stations, the City has determined that there is some pollution of the groundwater, but it is only in the immediate area surrounding the factory”, Katoma said.He added that Government had already made available funds to reconstruct some of the areas affected by the pollution.The textile factory uses large evaporation ponds to store wastewater.These ponds are believed to have overflowed on a few occasions, resulting in its contents mixing with water that flowed into the Goreangab Dam.Even though water contamination from the factory may be said to be limited to its immediate surroundings, there is still cause for concern, and some urgency is required for the Municipality to speed up the decision to take over the waste management there.Earthlife Namibia was one of the groups which had earlier expressed concern and urged action over pollution at Ramatex.They were met with a barrage of criticism from people such as former President Sam Nujoma and even Windhoek’s Mayor, Matheus Shikongo.They were, among other things, accused of trying to “throw a spanner in the wheels of economic development”, as well as spreading propaganda by questioning Government’s commitment to the environment.Now that their concerns have been proven to be justified, an apology from those who berated Earthlife for raising awareness about the problem would be in order.Environmental issues are often overlooked in Namibia, particularly when the concerns appear to threaten economic projects, such as the one at Ramatex.While business development in Namibia remains very important to the country as a whole, we cannot afford to jeopardise the environment or overlook concerns about it, simply for the short-term goal of boosting economic development.It remains vitally important for the future that Government consider all the issues around such developments, whether they be in regard to textile manufacturing, mining or other projects, and ensure that proper, independent, feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments are done and thoroughly perused before developments are given the nod of approval.With Ramatex, we started off on the wrong footing when no thorough environmental assessment study was done in the haste to beat off competition from SA, which also wanted the investment there!