Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) has revealed that few industries meet the regulatory body’s directive of having waste treatment systems in place. “Presently, few industries have waste treatment systems,” revealed Norbert Duhuze, the acting director of Environment Regulation and Pollution Control unit at Rema. He said that sensitization was carried out for all industries to carry out waste treatment months back. REMA started issuing Environmental Impact Assessment Certificates to all companies. since its inception in 2005. “Those who want to start industries come and we check their waste treatment plans before giving them certificates,” he said. However, Duhuze divulged that, “of course problems are there. They hand in business proposals but when it goes to implementation, they don’t do it.” He said that industries in Kicukiro, Gatenga, Gikondo and Kimihurura dump their waste in tributaries that pour water into River Nyabarongo. He said that the dumped waste include petroleum products used to clean machines and heavy metals like lead and Zinc. He said that water pollution was the worst, followed by noise and air pollution. “Air pollution is not easy to detect because we don’t have equipment”. Duhuze added that REMA doesn’t have enough testing laboratories across the country to effectively carry out testing exercises. “There are few qualified laboratories across the country to carry out testing,” he said. He pointed out that not all industries that have been registered by the Private Sector Federation and Ministry of Commerce are industries according to REMA’s rating.“Some are based in residential houses and package finished goods,” he said. Ends
