KIMBERLEY Ekapa Mining Joint Venture has been given an ultimatum of five days to begin dismantling a 50-metre ramp that was illegally built at Kamfers Dam, which is home to hundreds of lesser flamingos.
A number of flamingos have recently returned to the city after having abandoned the area due to dwindling water supplies.
Ekapa has been given five days to stop all activities at Kamfers Dam.
A warning was issued by two provincial government departments that the illegal extraction of water from the dam as well as the ramp that was constructed without permission, would lead to punitive actions including legal recourse as well as the payment of a fine or minimum imprisonment of 10 years.
Ekapa was advised that with water shortages posing a grave challenge, the re-use of wastewater was imperative to conserve available resources.
The provincial Department of Environment and Nature Conservation instructed the company to immediately stop all unauthorised water uses and to submit an environmental audit detailing the environmental impacts, possible pollution and risks to matrix within the next 30 days.
During an investigation it was discovered that a trench was illegally excavated from the rim of the pan into the basin to extract water from the dam.
The pan is classified as as an ecologically sensitive wetland, where permission has to be obtained for any water use activities.
A suitably qualified environmental consultant must compile a rehabilitation plan for all affected areas, including the nature and extent of the impact that their water use activities have had or may have on the water resource.
Once a rehabilitation plan is approved by the department, Ekapa will be given 30 days to put the recommendations into effect.
The acting HOD for the Department of Environment and Nature Conservation, Les Abrahams, stated that an inspection was conducted on the site on November 8 and 9, in conjunction with the Department of Water and Sanitation, following several complaints of non-compliance.
“The ramp measures 10 metres wide, 50 metres long and one metre high. A trench was excavated from the rim of the pan and deposited into the pan basin. The company has in the past made use of a water abstraction licence issued to De Beers to use in its mineral processing activities. The construction of the ramp and extension of its pipeline was, however, embarked upon without seeking the needed authorisation from either of the departments as required by law,” said Abrahams.
He added that in the meantime, the Department of Environment and Nature Conservation had appealed to the Sol Plaatje Municipality to maintain the water levels at Kamfers Dam, by ensuring a constant inflow from the Homevale Waste Water Treatment Plant, until the chicks are mature enough to fly and feed themselves.
He indicated that more than a thousand flamingos had started breeding on the pan following an earlier exodus caused by the dramatic decrease in the water levels.
“Unlike previous cases where the flamingos breed on a special raised island, this time it is taking place on a section of what was previously the pan basin. This is the first recorded breeding event at Kamfers Dam that was not facilitated through human intervention, such as a breeding island,” said Abrahams.
He appealed to the public to not disturb or approach the nesting birds.
“The birds are known to abandon the nests in extreme cases. The department points out that hunting or collection of these birds, their chicks or eggs is illegal.”
Abrahams pointed out that flamingo breeding sites were threatened by mining activities.
“The need to pay special attention to degraded wetlands was also highlighted by the MEC for Environment and Nature Conservation, Tiny Chotelo, during her budget speech, when she announced that her department would be launching a pilot programme in wetlands rehabilitation at Kamfers Dam. She also urged all parties to devote special attention to the plight of the flamingos.
“This is the sixth breeding site for the lesser flamingo in the world, and the fourth for Africa. The species is regarded as near threatened because the population is declining and the other three breeding sites in Africa are already threatened by human extractive activities.”
Ekapa indicated that it would respond today.