By Evans Dakwa,News Editor
The Environmental Management Agency in Harare has expressed concern over the polluting effect of back up power generators, urging all users of the air and noise polluting gadgets to ensure they comply with air emissions licencing provisions.
EMA’s concern comes amid a debilitating power shortage that has seen most businesses and households turning to generators as power back up.
According to a statement released by the environmental regulator in Harare, standby power generators are one of the various trade facilities that release air pollutants, through exhausts, from the combustion of fossil fuels in internal engine and their use is governed by the law hence the need for compliance.
“Lke all other air emitting appliances, standby generators should comply with air emissions licensing provisions sited in the Environmental Management Act Cap 20:27 as read with Statutory Instrument 72 of 2009, “Atmospheric Pollution Control”, said EMA Harare Province Manager Leon Mutungamiri.
The entity said it is currently on a mission to monitor and ensure that all generator users are compliant with the law.
“Monitoring for compliance to these statutes is being carried out extensively in Harare Metropolitan Province at all the premises. A standby power generator with a power rating that is more than five Kilovolts-Amperes [>5KVA] shall emit the exhaust emissions under a license by the Environmental Management Agency, excluding households,”adds Mutungamiri.
EMA also urged the public users of generators to be compliant with licencing requirements before the long arm of the law catches with them.
” All premises with emitting generators which are more than 5KVA, excluding households, are supposed to visit the Environmental Management Agency offices and acquire a license. Operators of generators without a license will be issued with tickets for non-compliance. All Business entities in Harare Metropolitan Province are encouraged to apply for the license to avoid being fined by the inspection teams.”
Generators have become a common feature in Harare’s Central Business District as small business especially in down town Harare find ways to cushion themselves against acute power shortages affecting the country. The situation has been so dire that power cuts induced by the need to load shed have been lasting north of 12 hours a day. Most Zimbabweans are however hopeful that the various power plants that have been commissioned in recent times coupled with expected increased generation at Kariba after a good rainy season, will ease the situation soon.
The Environmental Management Act CAP20:27 stipulates that, “No owner or operator of a trade or any establishment shall emit a substance or energy which causes or is likely to cause air pollution without an emission license issued by the Agency”.