Also ordered to pay Sh50million in fine
Tanzania Portland Cement Company (TPCC)
The National Environment Management Council (NEMC) yesterday suspended indefinitely Tanzania Portland Cement Company’s (TPCC) operations, ordering it to pay a hefty penalty amounting to Sh50million for polluting environment.
This follows residents’ complaints about the plant releasing the soot through its chimneys to residents homes causing serious health problems to families residing around it.
The firm also commonly known as Twiga Cement will cease its operation for undisclosed period until the polluting environmental issue at the plant are fixed and fine paid to the government body, NEMC.
NEMC, whose mission is to ensure protection of the environment and sustainable use of resources for enhancing the quality of lives of the public, reached the decision to suspend plants operations following complaints from residents residing around the plant.
According to NEMC, TPCC plant has been emitting cement powder through its chimneys, causing serious consequences to residents surrounding the plant.
Announcing the suspension, NEMC Senior Legal Environment Heche Suguta said TPCC grossly violated the Environmental Management Act of 2004, Cap number (191) on environmental conservation mandates.
“Beside suspension, TPCC has been ordered to pay Sh50million. The permit to proceed with production would be issued after rectifying cement powder disposing infrastructure” he said.
Suguta said the penalty imposed should be settled within seven days, failure which other legal punitive measures will be instituted.
“This is a clear lesson to cement companies and other companies operating in the country that do not take environmental issues to concern” he said.
He said NEMC has issued several reminders to TPCC to fix the problems to no avail saying his authority was aware about the impact of the plant closure but residents’ health was more important than government taxes.
According to residents, the soot emanating from the plant has caused health problems of serious flue, cough, headache and Tuberculosis to their families.
“I got TB from the soot emanating from the plant” said Anna Michael, one of the resident at Wazo Hill.
Ayoub Mwakibongile also a Wazo Hill resident thanked the authority saying the plant closure brings hope to residents around the plant.
On Thursday, TPCC Managing Director and Area Manager East Africa Alfonso Rodriguez said the dust cement was originating from the old plant which was until yesterday in operational following filters fault at the new plant.
“We are still working on the problem to fix the filters. We have already ordered the filters and it may take a month to arrive in the country” he said while speaking to journalists.
TPCC in which Heidelberg Cement holds a majority stake is the leading cement producer in Tanzania controlling 40 percent of the market in the country. It was established by Cementia Holdings AG of Switzerland in 1959.
The cement plant at the Wazo Hill produces more than 2million tonnes per year for domestic and foreign markets according to the records of mid 2014.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
3 comments:
I worked in Tanzania Portland Cement factory for over 4 years fixing the air pollution control system and other cement processing machinery. We- the Tanzanian technicians made sure that air pollution was constraint because we lived in the houses around the factory. When the Tanzanian Portland cement Company was sold to foreign companies, actually they neglected the air population system-electrostatic filters system and other things because the management did not live in the neighborhoods. A fine of 50million shillings should be imposed on them every day they do not fix the filters. They are making lot on money send to foreign banks white the Tanzania citizens are suffering from people inhaling mercury, dust particles and other diseases. They are Tanzanian engineers who are experts in this field and they are not employed by these foreign companies.
What would be the basis for imposing a TZS 50 million fine per day, if production has already been suspended? Is it just because Tanzanian engineers like you are not employed by such foreign companies? Let's just face it! Most Tanzanian engineers and other professionals possess only paper qualifications, coupled with corrupt work ethic.
whom to blame the Foreigner?the Tanzanian engineer? the corrupt government that keep on signing fake investing deals and embrassing these foreigner in the name of investing while the gain a lot and leaving our country with deep poverty.
whom to blame? I don't think so our engineers deserver it.Ask ccm government.
ndo maana mwalimu nyerere did not want any investor to come to our countries he wanted all these jobs to be hold by us the citizen.look at the situation now,wazawa hawana chao,its a big shame.
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