The National Water Resource Authority (NWRA) has fined Universal Industries Limited K4 million for polluting water resources contrary to section 88(1) of Water Resources Act.
According to a statement signed by NWRA Public Relations Officer, Masozi Kasambala, the company was found guilty of unlawful discharge of effluent into Malangalanga Stream, a tributary of Lilongwe River, which was detected by the Authority’s inspectors.
“The specific objectives of the inspection exercise were to verify the indiscriminate discharge of untreated effluent into the environment and to ensure that immediate remedial measures are undertaken by the polluter in accordance with Water Resources Act (2013),
“The inspection exercise established that Universal Industries Limited has been discharging untreated effluent into Malangalanga Stream, a tributary of Lilongwe River, thereby causing water pollution. The institution has also been conveying effluent from its factory through storm drains into Malangalanga Stream,” said Kasambala
He said the Universal Industries Limited has also been ordered to stop, forthwith the indiscriminate discharge of untreated effluent from the factory and to, in the meantime, make temporary arrangements with the Lilongwe City Council or identify a service provider who should be collecting liquid waste for proper disposal of the same in designated sites until such a time that Universal Industries Limited is connected to Lilongwe City Council Sewer line.
Further, the company, according to Kasambala, has been ordered to put in place any other effective remedial measures for the management of wastewater/effluent at all its wastewater treatment facilities which would be regularly monitored by the NWRA to ensure compliance with the Malawi Effluent Standards and other standards at all time and to declare and regularise all water abstractions and effluent discharge facilities in all their facilities countrywide.
