Solomons health authorities reiterate ban on using rivers

Transcript

Health authorities in Solomon Islands are continuing to warn villagers living down stream of the Gold Ridge Mine tailings dam in Central Guadalcanal not to use rivers and streams for drinking, cooking, bathing or washing.

The reminder comes after assurances from the ministry of environment that a spill-over at the mine tailings dam caused by heavy rains last month has been brought under control.

The under-secretary for health improvement says although the spill-over has stopped, random testing in rivers and streams in the area are still showing traces of arsenic.

Christian Becha told Koroi Hawkins the ministry believes a precautionary approach is the best way to protect communities.

CHRISTIAN BECHA: We have evidence, you know that we test that there is a level of chemicals. Knowing fully well that there is a treated, there is untreated and there is spillage so these are three sources of contamination to the environment and also the downstream. So that is why I have to intervene.

KOROI HAWKINS: You have set up like monitoring and awareness for clinics in the area to watch out for signs of poisoning but a lot of the symptoms I am saying are similar to a lot of the other tropical diseases that already exist in the Solomon Islands like malaria and diarrhoea and other fevers. How would you confirm that a case is actually related to poisoning from the rivers.

CB: You are totally correct about that I mean I just mentioned about the symptoms, they are already something that the community would expect regardless of this. But I guess we set up the system, this is a surveillance system. This is not confirmed it is just if need be then we should make sure that based on these reports we can follow up and to make sure we take the necessary steps to confirm. Maybe further support like laboratory tests and investigations so at least we can substantiate these claims and all that. So I know that the rumours and all that with downstream people going out and saying that I have got this and that you know skin rash and that. Fungal infection and so on. But those symptoms themselves don't say anything at all I totally agree. But I think it is better to put up a system to allow us to be focused so that means we can monitor the situation so that at least we can try and push to the community with some kind of evidences rather than we just speculate.

KH: Looking forward to the future how long do you see this situation being present and what options are there for a solution?

CB: I think that we must understand that whilst we are telling the people to be vigilant and all that we are taking a step now to work with responsible authorities and especially the company to see how best they can address this issue by making sure that we are controlling the necessary activities to dewater with treated dewatering and all that rather than over-spill and uncontrolled and we know that  is where the risk comes in.