By STAFF REPORTER
THE National Environment Management Council (NEMC) is teaming up with the office of Chief Government Chemist to roll out a special training on proper use of mercury towards the small-scale miners in the Mwakitolyo mines within Mwakitolyo ward of Shinyanga municipal.
Dubbed 'Environmental Health and Pollution Management Project (EHPMP)' the timely initiative which is being funded by World Bank (WB) focuses to help reduce harmful effects of unprofessional handling of mercury towards human being and the environment.
And as per the program’s design, the initiative will be implemented in several regions, including Geita, Mbeya, Singida, Mwanza, Mara, Songwe and Shinyanga.
Speaking during the training, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer from NEMC, Hassan Maalim informed that the vision behind the useful training is to ensure mining areas across the country are maintaining the quality of environmental as recommended by Minamata Convention on Mecury.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury is the most recent global agreement on environment and health, adopted in 2013.
It is named after the bay in Japan where, in the mid-20th century, mercury-tainted industrial wastewater poisoned thousands of people, leading to severe health damage that became known as the "Minamata disease."
"Most of the miners within the country are operating under complicated and unwanted risk conditions as they're not adhering to required standards,"
"For instance during pre- processing of gold, which is often done by hands most of them are not wearing hands- gloves, which is very risk," Maalim revealed.
On his part, Audit and Registration from the office of Chief Government Chemist, Magdalena Mtenga itemised some of the side effects that often affecting the workers in the mines due to poor use of mercury as destruction of kidney, conscious system, as well as craziness.
Other side effects, according to her include memory loss, stress all the time, loss of eyesight, shaking hands, reduced male power, miscarriage and children born with cerebral palsy.
Mentenga challenged them to develop the habit of doing regular tests to know the levels of mercury in their body and when it exceeds they should follow the advice of the doctors they will be given.
One of the miners, Juma Daudi said that he did not know the effects of mercury as it can cause miscarriage and loss of sight because he came to confirm this after seeing one of them affected by mercury and having two colors in his body and promisedtake precautions all the time he is at work.
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