The government is yet to conduct a detailed study to establish if deaths of humans and livestock in communities surrounding North Mara gold mine, were caused by the poisonous chemical spills from the mine.

Tabling the Land, Natural Resources and Environment parliamentary committee report on measures taken following environment pollution by Barrick Gold Corporation's gold mine, Prof Raphael Mwalyosi (Ludewa-CCM) said yesterday in Dodoma that the government had told the committee that it lacks money to conduct a detailed analysis on the spills.

After visiting the gold mine in October last year to survey the toxic spills and its effects on people's lives and environment, the parliamentary committee directed the government to conduct a detailed study on the problem.

Although the fact that toxic spills from the gold mine spilled in the open and into river Tigite was not disputed, further scientific study was needed to establish the cause of deaths and other healthy complications on humans and livestock before making any firm conclusion.

Prof Mwalyosi said despite delaying the study, the government has also shown weakness in environment surveys and assessment in mining areas. In the case of North Mara, the government depended solely on a report by Barrick, which was one sided.

He said the physical land scape of the area shows that underlying rocks are 'potentially acidic which can also poison water sources.

"The committee is not satisfied by the failure by the government to conduct the research because it leaves us in limbo, unable to determine what actually caused the deaths of people and livestock, and we urge the government to immediately conduct the analysis.

The investor (Barrick Gold Corp) should assist to fund this exercise," Prof Mwalyosi said.

But in response, Dr Batilda Buriani, minister of State in the Vice President's Office (Environment), said the government would conduct the research next year.

The committee also directed the government to identify alternative water sources for the affected villages to prevent further health complications, ensure completion of compensation payments to the villagers who have to be moved away from the mine and the issuance of licenses to small miners to avoid conflicts between small miners and the investor.

The committee toured North Mara after the National Environment Council had surveyed the area and ordered Barrick to fix the toxic spills problem.

The minister for Health and Social Welfare, Prof David Mwakyusa, said recent observation has indicated that the number of deaths and health complications has declined, but it was not yet established whether health complications were directly related to toxic spills.

Members of Parliament asked the government to establish the capacity to conduct regular surveys to ensure lives of livestock and humans in surrounding community are not affected.

North Mara, a subsidiary of Canada's Barrick Gold Corporation, is one of the oldest gold mines in Tanzania, which was established without conducting an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study, according to Dr Buriani.