Zimpapers Logo

ppcMarvelous Moyo Gwanda Correspondent
PRETORIA Portland Cement (PPC) Zimbabwe has embarked on a massive landfill lining construction project in Colleen Bawn in compliance with effluent and solid waste disposal regulations.

The project, which is one of the major lining construction works in the country, is meant to ensure the protection of underground water from contamination.

Under the Statutory Instrument (SI) 6 of 2007, all landfill sites whether for industrial, domestic, mining or any type of solid waste is supposed to be lined.

A landfill is a carefully designed structure built into or on top of the ground in which waste generated by communities is stored as most of it is neither reused nor recycled.

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) conducted a media tour of the project on Monday to have an appreciation of the project which is underway in Colleen Bawn, Matabeleland South province as very few landfills have been lined in the country since the instrument was gazetted.

The showcasing of the project was meant to encourage other institutions to do the same to step up efforts to ensure ground water resources were protected.

PPC general manager Kelibone Masiyane told journalists that PPC was committed to integrating all environmental issues with their business strategy.

“The project is a partnership between PPC and EMA and we’re quite excited about this partnership. For us it’s not about legal compliance but it’s something that we’re passionate about, it’s about the future generations.

“It’s just a small step we’ve taken and we hope to inspire other organisations because it’s quite affordable,” he said.

The company’s risk control officer Trevor Masuku said durable and tough plastic imported from South Africa was used in lining the landfill.

“We felt this was the right thing to do, we didn’t want to be pushed. We excavated the site deep to about two metres down until we got a very solid rock. We lined with clay and we put HDPE (High Density Polythene plastic) lining,” he said.

“In this landfill we won’t put any industrial waste, it’s just for domestic waste,” added Masuku.

The lining works process began with an order issued by EMA after the stipulated five years lapse on lining and the mine conducted feasibility studies after which an EIA report was compiled and approved by the agency.

EMA provincial environmental education and publicity officer Sithembokuhle Moyo applauded PPC for the initiative.

“We really appreciate the efforts being done here in Colleen Bawn because to date, we still have very few landfills that are lined countrywide.

“We would like to commend Colleen Bawn (PPC) for coming up with this construction. We hope this will be a learning curve for other institutions and other local authorities in the country that haven’t undertaken a similar project . . .,” she said.

Moyo said the project was immensely beneficial as it reduced environmental cost since it was difficult and expensive to treat underground water once contaminated.