Soil damage

Thabo Ishmael Choledi

By: Thabo Choledi

SOIL DAMAGE

Much of the toxic substances contaminates our environment, chemicals that are dangerous and unstable now reside in the soil, poisoning the vegetation and also threatening  food security. They not only create an environmental crisis phenomena ,it  has serious health repercussions for  society as stated in the section of health – risk associated with mineral extraction.

The effects of the soil damage that the mining community of Jagersfontein is facing is intergenerational, full of radioactive waste/farmers products that were released as by- product of the dam disaster. The waste has  led to delimitation of livestock,the staple diet of fishery supply in the town has decreased as the tributary that supplied the community with fish (WOLWAS). It is full of toxins tailings from the mine with the radioactive life-span ranging over 100 years or more.

It causes irreversible damage to the natural environment including deforestation, soil disturbances, air emissions, surface water pollution, ground -water contamination, dust, noise and destruction and confusion around the community.

From my side as I was taught at school physical science and geography, the issue of the Big Hole is troublesome again. They are busy forming a volcano or tremor where the ground or earth is going to burst ,we need an urgent relocation immediately.