First Quantum Minerals (FQM) has planted 11,000 trees at its Sentinel Mine in Kalumbila District of North Western Province to reclaim mine dump sites.
The trees have been planted at some dump sites where vegetation has stopped growing.
Sentinel Mine Environmental Superintendent Frackson Sikita says a lot of remediation measures have been implemented by the mine to protect the environment.
Sikita says 35,000 plants were nursed last year out of which 11,000 were planted on an eight hectares plot.
Speaking when a 25 member delegation of Malawian environmental health practitioners visited the Sentinel mine site on a benchmarking tour sponsored by Nvumabaranda Group of Companies, Sikita said the mine has invested a lot in restoring the environment in areas were mining has been halted.
“We have planted acacia polycantha which is used for improving nutrients in the soils in the areas were a variety of grass has been planted to remediate the waste dumps. The mine has however, maintained indigenous tree species like Pterocarpus Tinctorius which is popularly known as Mukula tree,” he said.
The Malawian delegation was also taken to the mine dump site where land is being reclaimed by planting eucalyptus trees where garbage has been buried.
And Malawi Environmental Health Association Vice President Collins Kamuloni said the delegation was happy to be exposed to practical public health practices.
Kamuloni said Malawi has no large scale mining operations and the exposure at Sentinel Mine has given the visiting team a lot of insight into how the environment is protected.
The team was also taken to the mine site were they viewed operations at the largest open pit mine in Zambia.
The Malawian delegation later visited a hospital in Lumwana and another one in Kalumbila which are owned and run by Nvumabaranda Group of Companies.
Nvumabaranda Group of Companies Chief Executive Officer Kennedy Nduna also took the team on a tour of hundreds of low, middle and high cost housing units, business centers, hardware, pharmacy and bakery.
Nduna explained how the Nvumabaranda Group of Companies operates and how they create opportunities for each other.
And Sentinel Mine Environmental Manager Sapalo Kachiwala said the mine has invested a lot in environmental protection.
Kachiwala says protecting the environment is not a cheap venture and it needs a lot of effort and time by institutions.
“We take issues of environmental health seriously and we are very much involved in many issues including indoor residual spray for mosquitoes,” he said.
