Man’s search for development carries with it problems which are not in oblivion, complaints resulting from quarrying activities. The goal of this article is to encourage the rehabilitation of land disturbed by quarrying by making the areas suitable for new sustainable land uses in Ndola and Zambia as a whole.
In Zambia, a ‘quarry’ whether in use, idle or abandoned is locally called ‘icimbotela’. In simple terms a quarry is an area from which rocks such as marble, limestone, and granite are extracted for industrial use. Once depleted of their desired resources, quarries are frequently abandoned. The resulting gaping holes can fill with water and form dangerous quarry lakes while others are turned into unsightly landfills. When quarries are in close proximity to urban environments, inhabitants are subjected to pollution and noise, and the undeniable eyesore of an abandoned quarry remains long after excavation is completed.
The issues of concern about quarries include visual intrusion, damage to landscapes, traffic, smoke, noise, dust, damage to caves, loss of land, and deterioration in water quality. Of major concern is blasting which is necessary to break down the rocks from the ground for subsequent processing into aggregates. Environmental safety laws and edicts have been adopted by governments of nations the world over in order to protect the environment from such hazards.
Despite the economic benefits of this activity, questions are also raised about the social and ecological consequences and the success, otherwise of legislative instruments to regulate such as requirements for environmental impact assessment. Otherwise quarrying activities cause significant effect on the environment.
Ndola is a City blessed with good land and has quarries which are under the care of mining companies for instance the one for Ndola Lime, Lafarge, Handyman’s Lime etc.,. Idle, abandoned and in use quarries meant for laterite excavation include the one in upper New Mushili next to the mountain side, near Old Kawama cemetery and others.
Some of these quarries are used for activities such as large scale mining of limestone and others were created for the purposes of laterite excavation and later turned into dumping sites. Laterite is a reddish weathering product of basalt it is used mostly used in construction works.
Against this background, over years there has been an increase in the number of environmental experts/activists, community activists, NGOs and other stakeholders have questioned the sustainability of local livelihoods and economies at all stages in the cycle of quarrying, from the point at which mines quarries commence operations, through the period of production, and also after quarry closure. However, the range of work responding to this remains small.
It is a common trend that once depleted of desired resources, quarries are frequently abandoned. The majority of quarries are located fairly close to urban environments due to the expense of transporting raw materials into the city for industrial use in buildings and roads. As a result, inhabitants of neighborhoods near quarries are subjected to air pollution from dust, noise pollution from trucks and machinery, and the destruction of what may have once been a beautiful landscape. Not only do quarries often negatively impact those who live nearby, but they often leave residual negative impacts on the environment. Runoff of chemical pollutants into bodies of water, loss of natural habitats, farmland, and vegetation, and natural resource exhaustion are among the most harmful environmental impacts.
A quarry in upper New Mushili used to outskirt of the township however, due to high demand of residential plots, Ndola city council had no option but allocate plots to people just nearby the quarry.
While quarrying can be a negative industry for society and for the environment, the necessity of quarrying is undeniable. In order for human civilization to continue as it has since the industrial revolution, we need the retrieval of resources from quarries in order to create our homes’ foundations, transportation structures with cement, concrete, asphalt, and crushed stone, and other industrial uses such as abrasives, binders, additives, and roofing. Millions of people worldwide are employed by quarrying practices, and therefore a removal of the quarrying industry would result in the loss of jobs for countless families. Therefore, in order to remedy the negative effects of quarrying, authorities responsible for environment and land use the resource depleted spaces for other practices once the quarries cease being operational. The potential transformation of quarry sites into a variety of sustainable uses would not only remedy the negative effects of quarrying, but could create sites of greater social, environmental.
One of the biggest negative impacts of quarrying on the environment is the damage to biodiversity. Biodiversity essentially refers to the range of living species, including fish, insects, invertebrates, reptiles, birds, mammals, plants, fungi and even micro-organisms. Biodiversity conservation is important as all species are interlinked, even if this is not immediately visible or even known, and our survival depends on this fine balance that exists within nature. Both positive and adverse societal impacts of modern manufacturing technologies have great consequences on economics, health, safety and environment in general.
Quarrying carries the potential of destroying habitats and the species they support. Even if the habitats are not directly removed by excavation, they can be indirectly affected and damaged by environmental impacts - such as changes to ground water or surface water that causes some habitats to dry out or others to become flooded. Even noise pollution can have a significant impact on some species and affect their successful reproduction. Nevertheless, with careful planning and management, it is possible to minimize the effect on biodiversity and in fact, quarries can also provide a good opportunity to create new habitats or to restore existing ones.
Matildah Ng’andu, upper New Mushili resident, whose house is built next to a quarry, said that the quarry is very dangerous to the neighborhood children especially during the rainy season.
She added that youths and adults use the site for such acts like fornication and adultery.
“The site promote fornication and adultery, this is where young people even adults come to have sex from. During rainy season it (quarry) gets flooded with water which is very dangerous to our children,” said Mrs. Ng’andu.
And Mrs. Mercy Siwawa added that since the quarry is idle, it is better the relevant authority does something about it better still burry it if they could.
“It could be better if relevant authorities did something about this quarry better still burry it if they could because people have started coming to commit suicide from it. So far we have witnessed three dead bodies in this quarry,” she said, adding also that young people have turned the quarry in question into a ‘dadga’ smoking den.
Mrs. Ng’andu also said during rainy season when the quarry is flooded with stagnant water, the nearby residents suffer from mosquito bites as this poses a great danger to their health.
Mrs. Siwawa disclosed that rumor has it that there are some Chinese investors who intend to land scape the area and put up a shopping mall on the site.
Just next to New Mushili quarry, Ndola City Council has allocated Ministry of Health a land for a clinic which is set for construction as soon as funding is available.
Sustainable redevelopment could become a shining solution for these abandoned, resource-depleted quarries in Ndola. Dozens of cities in other countries including America have undertaken adaptive re-use projects to transform quarries into a variety of public and private spaces. The potential new uses for these expanses of land include sites for research and education, aquaculture, recreational activities, storage, industry and housing.
Abandoned or idle quarries in Ndola could serve as sites that promote community engagement, housing, and/or practical use of land. For instance Brownstone Park seamlessly utilizes the empty quarry sites into a park that has become beloved by locals and tourists since 2008.
Brownstone Park is a former limestone quarry located near Portland in America that was originally abandoned in the 1930’s after flooding from the Connecticut River ended all operations. The quarry site was neglected and filled with water, forming what is known as a quarry lake. A quarry lake forms when a quarry site fills with water. Since the water in a quarry lake is stagnant, the water is incredibly cold and when reckless individuals choose to go swimming unattended, their bodies often go into shock. Approximately 30-40 people drown per year in quarry lakes due to reckless activity. All efforts to drain the flooded quarry were unsuccessful. As a result, the Brownstone Quarry was in need of monitoring in order to prevent such deaths. This quarry converted into an adventure park features a variety of outdoor activities, including cliff-jumping, rock climbing, swimming, kayaking, scuba diving, climbing and rappelling, wakeboarding, rope-swings, 750-foot zip-lining, a 100-foot water slide and inflatable water toys. Recently the management responsible for Brownstone Park was planning to create a camp ground for visitors to stay at the site overnight. There are also plans to offer educational programs at the site, including scuba diving and wakeboarding.
Brownstone Park has successfully yielded high revenue for the city due to the increasing number of visitors that attend the park every year as well as a large number of employment opportunities. Monitoring of the area by park life guards and police officers has eliminated safety hazards posed by the quarry lake prior to redevelopment. The site has become a beloved activity site instead of an abandoned hazards and visitors range from locals to out-of-state tourists. Not only does the adventure park re-use the land, but it stimulates outdoor activities that bring people out of their homes and into nature. The park encourages healthy, enjoyable activities for all ages.
This is just one example of how sustainable redevelopment is a solution for abandoned, resource-depleted quarries that benefits everyone. By encouraging the rehabilitation of land disturbed by quarrying, society can remedy the negative effects of anthropogenic industrial activity. The redevelopment of quarries can both benefit humans and lessen the environmental impact of quarrying without removing quarrying as a global and regional industry.
While the example presented depict a recreational park, a mixed-use housing district, a water management system, a National Park, and a luxury hotel, adaptive re-use projects can transform quarries into a variety of public and private spaces other than these uses. Such options include geological sites for research and education, nature preservation areas, training courses for personnel, and the military, open-air theaters, museums on quarrying heritage, film sets, rock climbing, storage and warehouses, landfills, harbors, cooling water for industry, and industrial plants.
About the Author
Winston Muleba Junior is a Digital Journalist, Aquaculturist, Researcher, Writer and Disaster Management Practitioner who uses media and ICT to promote environmental conservation; science, technology and innovation. He gravitates towards business, environment, water, aquaculture and agriculture as he is skilled at juxtaposing the latest research and expert opinion with the everyday lives and struggles of people on the ground.
Email: mwenyamuleba@gmail.com
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