DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Friday ordered the east African nation's environment watchdog to probe pollution allegations against Acacia Mining's North Mara Gold Mine, saying previous report that cleared the mine was tampered with.
Addressing a public rally at Nyamongo village near the goldmine in Tarime district, Mara region, President Magufuli said an earlier report by the National Environment Management Council (NEMC) was questionable.
For the past 10 years, residents in villages within the gold mine have been complaining that effluents released by Acacia Mining's North Mara Gold Mine were polluting water in Mara River and Tigite River, posing major health hazard to the residents.
"I am a chemical engineer. I want NEMC to launch a fresh investigation to establish how the effluents are contaminating water in the rivers, and subsequently affecting people," he said.
"People are being affected by using water that is contaminated by effluents released by mining activities. This is unacceptable and NEMC should do its investigations afresh," said Magufuli.
In 2016, NEMC undertook an investigation and came up with a report saying results of the samples taken from various water sources including Tigite River, indicated that the water was not poisoned.
