Report of an alleged pollution of the Mafa River in Grand Cape Mount County, western Liberia, resulting in the death of fishes and other species deserves urgent and thorough investigation to avert a potential human catastrophic.
Already, report says a dog that ate some of the dead species from the pollution, subsequently died in the county, while the Mafa River, used by communities to fetch water for cooking and drinking, has become a no-go-zone area.
Media reports emerged here early Tuesday this week that over 10 communities had been affected by chemicals allegedly leaked from plant operated by Bea Mountain Mining Corporation (BMMC) into the Mafa River, but the company in a release issued Tuesday, May 24, said there has been no discharge from its plant, and that there is no abnormal condition there.
What is authentic however, is that something is amiss in the county that poses serious threats to both human lives and the environment.
This should claim the immediate attention of all stakeholders, including national government in order to arrest the situation before it goes off hand.
We call on the Environmental Protection Agency that the company says it has contacted to conduct sample test of water from the Mafa River in order to establish cause of death of animal species that has left citizens panicking.
The EPA, under the watch of Professor Wilson K. Tarpeh, as Director, should leave no stone unturned in scientifically getting to the bottom of the current threats in Grand Cape Mount County in order to allay all fears. We are hearing that citizens in the affected communities are leaving for safety.
The government and the concession company should leave no room for suspicions, as we believe the pollution did not come from the sky. There is a source and it must be established so that citizens can once more live in peace.
The government is under obligation to protect its citizens no matter where they live, and it should act in ways that demonstrate such commitment by being proactive.
The sooner findings are established about the river pollution in Grand Cape Mount County, which is a major tourism site, the better it would be not only for citizens there but the entire country.
