The Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) has warned Livingstone residents to stop drinking water or consuming fish from Maramba river after unknown people poured suspected poison onto the river leaving massive number of fish dead.
Environmental Health Inspector Webby Simwayi confirmed this to ZANIS in an interview yesterday, saying unknown people have poured toxic substances which poses health hazard.
Mr Simwayi said people should stop drinking or eating fish from Maramba river adding that the agency in conjunction with other relevant authorities was working to determine the nature and extent of pollution on the river.
“Yes I can confirm that Maramba river is suspected to have been polluted with unknown toxic substance which has led to fish dying in large numbers,” said Mr Simwayi.
“And I want to warn members of the public especially those living in Maramba area to be cautious and not drink water from the river or eat fish believed to have been caught from the Maramba river,” Mr Simwayi said.
Mr Simwayi said the agency has since embarked on a serious sensitization exercise to members of the public on the dangers of eating poisoned fish from the said river.
A spot check by ZANIS today found scores of people, mostly youths scooping the dead fish from the river for sale to unsuspecting consumers.
According to some residents talked to, this was not the first time unknown people have poured poisonous substances in Maramba river.
One of the local residents Oscar Mwiya said some unknown people have the habit of poisoning the fish in the river during this time of the year for unknown reasons.
Mr Mwiya has since called on the department of Fisheries to institute investigations in order to bring the culprits to book.
ZANIS
Check on Chinese companies nearby before arresting innocent villagers again.
Tell all UPND cadres to go and eat the fish
this act happens yearly in short its an annual event if no person has ever died or fallen sick after eating this fish then pipo shud cebrate but who knows u may be the unluck one
Call the mazungus back before u all die,….timely warning.
Here’s someone who believes in a muzungu without shame! I pity u.
African fish, is not as good as British fish anyway
good riddance
Thanks
`You are a retard
A serious retard for that matter.
No. 5 you make me laugh. Did u just say British fish is better than African fish? Its either u are not exposed or u are brain washed. Check your facts my friend.
We call it ububa kwesu kwa Kazembe
Check the manufacturers of the poison and fine them. They should only sell such items to credible people and they should know who bought them.
Wanted to say such substance
I’m sure if they know chemical pollutant it should not be hard to find the culprits…given that this is Livingstone and not Industrous Copper-belt or Lusaka
It’s a crime. They didn’t kill only fish, but many creatures
Keep an eye on the Chinese companies in the area. They have no respect for human life in the their own country and will bring to Zambia the same rot if not checked. Remember they killed 50+ people (and got away with it) and their boss on ZNBC said its was ONLY 53 people. There are very high levels of cancer in china as a result of pollution and their govt does give it a damn. So if not checked there will be no fish left in our rivers, no rhinos and elephants (coz they have been killing them in the Southern African region and transporting the tusks and horns in coffins to china) and no clean fresh water in Zambia. Indians not any better.