Maputo — Mozambique's Environment Minister, Luciano de Castro, on Sunday inaugurated a landfill for the disposal of industrial waste at Mavoco, in Boane district, about 20 kilometres from Maputo.

The facility covers 50 hectares, reports Monday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias", but only six will be used in the initial stage.

The landfill is owned by the state, through the National Environment Fund (FUNAB), but it was paid for by the aluminium smelter MOZAL.

MOZAL paid 3.5 million dollars to build the landfill, and as a result it will enjoy a preferential rate for the wastes that it disposes of at Mavoco. FUNAB is still discussing the rates that other industries will have to pay.

The landfill can process 3,500 tonnes of industrial waste a month. The disposal of waste from industries in Maputo, Matola and Boane is thus solved for at least the next five years.

Naturally enough, local residents were worried about possible contamination of their water supplies by seepages from the landfill.

Maputo provincial governor Telmina Pereira said that the landfill had been built so as to minimise such risks.