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OpenHealth Minister Blocks Construction Of Cemetery Near Water Treatment Facility
Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora has stopped the construction of the Watervlei Burial Memorial Park, which was recently approved by the Harare City Council. The park is located along Seke Road, adjacent to the Prince Edward Water Treatment Plant.
Mombeshora halted the project over concerns that decomposing human remains and chemicals could contaminate water due to the site’s proximity to the water treatment facility.
In a letter addressed to Local Government and Public Works Minister Daniel Garwe, Mombeshora said no consultations had been conducted with the Ministry of Health and Child Care regarding the project. He said:
This falls short of the requirements of the Public Health Act… Corpses discharge chemicals and impurities that could seep into the groundwater.
Mombeshora said the cemetery’s location violates World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, which recommend a buffer zone of at least 1 to 2 kilometers between cemeteries and water treatment facilities.
Despite warnings from the Harare Water Department about potential health risks, the Harare City Council granted a permit for the cemetery’s construction. Said Mombeshora:
The cemetery is too close to the stream, raising the chances of contamination of Seke Dam’s ground and surface water.
The envisaged cemetery’s proximity to the stream that feeds into the raw water source increases the risk of pollution, echoing the recent Lake Chivero pollution incident that devastated local wildlife and fish populations.
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