Recent sand mining at Onatshiku village has left numerous palm trees uprooted and dead. The activity has also created a massive pit that, if left unrehabilitated, poses a severe danger to both people and livestock, particularly at night and during the rainy season.
Last year, Uukwambi Traditional Authority spokesperson Othitukuti Kalimba told The Namibian they were in the process of rehabilitating the site. However, this has not yet taken place, raising concerns among some residents as to whether it will ever happen.
The authority has been conducting sand mining at Onatshiku village with an environmental clearance certificate (ECC) from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.
However, after the certificate expired last year, the ministry advised the authority not to apply for a renewal of their ECC as the sand-mining activity has caused massive environmental damage to the site.
When The Namibian visited the site on Sunday, the remains of dead palm trees were lying across a massive pit.
Concerns have also been raised as to why the ministry allowed sand mining at a site containing natural springs. The area previously had many palm trees due to these water sources, as palm trees naturally thrive in wet environments.
While a specific site had been earmarked for sand mining, collectors have now expanded beyond those boundaries.
Kalimba told The Namibian yesterday that the traditional authority will begin rehabilitating the site during summer, when most of the water bodies have dried up and conditions are more conducive to the work.
“We are waiting for summer to start rehabilitating. At the moment, there is still a lot of water in the area. We will inform the residents once we have started with the rehabilitation,” said Kalimba.
The Namibian earlier in the year reported that the Ministry of Environment and Tourism strongly condemned the ongoing rise in illegal sand and gravel mining activities, warning that the practice poses serious risks to human life, livelihoods and the environment.
The ministry warned that illegal mining has resulted in land degradation, erosion of riverbanks, destruction of wetlands and damage to agricultural land such as mahangu fields. These activities, it said at the time, threaten water and food security, grazing land and biodiversity.
