* Observes that if house roofs and walls can be coated in black from the potassium ash dust being blown from the evaporation ponds, it is likely people are inhaling the same into their bodies
* She couldn’t cope with the pungent and odious smell from the sludge waste that was all over the trading centre and wondered how the community members lived through it every single day
By Duncan Mlanjira
Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation & Water Development, Roza Fatch Mbilizi has expressed deep concerns regarding the health of community members of Dyeratu, that people are likely inhaling potassium-rich ash dust from ethanol manufacturing company, PressCane Ltd.
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Mbilizi was in Chikwawa to inspect progress of government flagship irrigation project, the Shire Valley Transformation Programme and made a detour to check on how Presscane is responding to the Ministry’s instructions following earlier concerns about the company releasing untreated waste from its ethanol plant, whose evaporation ponds gave in during heavy rains in January leading the sludge waste to spill over into sorrounding communities farming land.
This time around, the Minister took keen note of the pungent and odious smell all around the Dyeratu trading centre enroute to the factory and also observed that roofs and walls of houses are coated in black, seemingly from the dried potassium-rich ash dust from the drying sludge waste.
What Mbilizi observed on her tour
In an interview with the media at the site of the evaporation ponds after engaging PressCane management, the Minister said while the company is addressing the issue to control spillage, there still is a bigger problem to the environment and people’s health.
She confessed that she couldn’t cope with the pungent and odious smell from the sludge waste that was all over the trading centre and wondered how the community members lived through it every single day.
She added that much as she is not a scientific health expert, if the house roofs and walls can be coated in black from the potassium ash dust being blown from the evaporation ponds, it is very likely people are inhaling the same into their bodies.
She indicated that was also appraised by the company that the evaporation ponds are being decommissioned and that future sludge waste will be converted into compost fertilizer, since PressCane-Limited-is-in-final-stages-of-commissioning-its/fertilizer-manufacturing-plant after investing multi-billions of kwacha for Bio-digester, which is to be commissioned in June 2026.
Mbilizi applauded the company that it is in the process of turning the liquid waste it generates from the production of ethanol as a strong measure of managing the environment and at the same time providing a solution to assist Malawian farmers to access affordable farm inputs.
But she was also deeply concerned that, meanwhile, the sludge in the evaporation ponds is expected to dry up naturally through the sun’s heat in two to three years — saying that’s too long a period for people to continue suffering from the pungent smell.
She thus said she directed the company to solve the environmental crisis with speed and not wait until the natural heat from the sun to dry up the evaporation ponds; but to find the best solution to control the situation, which has affected farmers’ crops, the environment, and people’s health.
In February, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Bryson Mkhomaanthu, indicated that once the evaporation ponds will be finally decommissioned, its approximately 26 hectares of land will be progressively rehabilitated and partially repurposed for tree planting, including selected fruit trees that surrounding communities will directly benefit from.
During the Forestry Season, PressCane reported that it planted over 700 trees around its ponds in efforts to manage the environment that it has greatly affected, which attracted the wrath of Malawi Environment Protection Authority (MEPA), which directed the company to plant trees as part of protecting the environment and surrounding communities from its waste.
Meanwhile, the Agriculture Minister indicated in January that government would enforce waste management laws against Presscane if it failed to address concerns raised by regulators during earlier inspections.
On April 11, the MIJOnline reported that Presscane maintenance of its ponds that caused spillage of vinnase to Lauji and other surrounding communities in January this year is progressing well to meet its deadline despite facing challenges.
The maintenance is part of the 13 guidelines the company was given by MEPA and the National Water Resources Authority and the Malawi Environmental Protection Authority apart from compensating the community.
Images captured by MIJOnline earlier this month
Samson Mphande, the company’s environmental crisis recovery & regulatory Lead told MIJOnline that heavy rainfall, breakdown of heavy vehicle machinery and shortage of fuel are among other challenges affecting the progress.
He added that heavy rainfall also filled the ponds with water forcing them fail decommissioning the ponds, adding that the company has spent over K1.3 billion on maintenance works.
Situation in January