Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
The Zambia Institute of Environmental Management (ZIEM) has expressed concern with the non-compliance to environmental regulations by some mining companies in the country.
ZIEM Executive Director Morgan Katati has attributed this to the weakness in regulations.
Mr Katati has noted the need to change how environmental regulations compliance in the extractive industry is monitored.
He explains that presently, government relies on environmental reports from mining companies and uses the information obtained to regulate the sector as opposed to carrying out its own monitoring.
Mr. Katati says there is under declaration of pollution by the some mines, adding that investigations by his organization have on several occasions have established that the environmental contamination is higher than that which is declared.
He has since urged the government to recruit adequate mine inspectors with a focus on environmental inspection if the country is to be saved from the high rate of pollution it is being subjected to.