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Charity Ruzvidzo Business Reporter
AT least 656 companies have been offered an olive branch by the Environmental Management Agency to continue their operations despite having non-compliant waste disposal systems, an official has said.Nationwide inspections conducted by EMA on 885 companies to ensure they met environmental requirements as set out by the authority, showed that 656 companies were in the wrong.

EMA’s national spokesperson Steady Kangata told Business Chronicle that the companies were allowed to continue operations under conditions of legally binding orders.

He pointed out that 257 companies of the 885 were found compliant with EMA requirements.

“Not all companies were breaching their environmental responsibilities, some had their books in order,” Kangata said.

He said 31 companies were advised to cease operations until such a time they put their houses in order with regards to environmental safety.

“These companies were not treating their effluent, especially tanneries. They were disposing their raw effluent into the water which is dangerous,” Kangata said.

These companies, he said, were implementing corrective measures. EMA has since lifted a ban on Belmont Leather.

“At the moment we are still in the process of checking with the companies that were served with orders.  We are also checking with those that we ordered to cease operations,” he said.

Kangata refuted claims that EMA was taking its time to respond to companies that would have implemented corrective measures.

“Our duty is to ensure environmental safety through managing it well. Providing an action plan is one issue while providing a feasible action plan is another.

“Swift response comes after feasible corrective measures and action plans are provided,” he said.

Responding to accusations of EMA standards being set at the same level with those of European countries, Kangata said people’s safety was first priority.

“Standards should actually be stricter. If we treat companies with soft hands, surely people would perish,” he said.