The government says it will introduce new regulations to prevent environmental damage to rivers and other water bodies, as part of a broader push to safeguard water supplies and improve agricultural production.
The plan includes three new statutory instruments aimed at illegal mining and environmental degradation.
The government also plans to rehabilitate rivers and dams damaged across the country.
Speaking at a monthly coordination meeting with Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, the Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Water Resources Development, Anxious Masuka, said the government is stepping up efforts to protect key water sources that are vital for farming and national food security.
“There is an interministerial Statutory Instrument 188 of November 2024 banning alluvial mining. We will now have three SIs to complement that. SI 188 is still in force. Alluvial mining is not allowed,” he said. “The security sector will be directed to conduct a 24-hour surveillance system so that there is no alluvial mining.”
He added that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to declare heavily degraded rivers a state of disaster in the next few days.
The government is also rolling out a “polluter pays” approach to make those responsible for environmental damage cover the cost of rehabilitation.
“We shall have a three-month window to quickly rehabilitate rivers and dams such as Mazowe Dam. We will need to engage capable contractors,” Masuka added.
More: ZBC News
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