Mortuaries exonerated over contamination charge

PARLIAMENT has exonerated private mortuaries in Harare which were, earlier this year, accused of contaminating drinking water sources through their disposal of fluid waste.

The funeral parlours came under fire for allegedly endangering the health of residents by discharging waste which has organic pollutants.

Among these was embalming fluid, formaldehyde, which also kills bacteria that is important in sewage purification.

Parliaments Portfolio Committee on Environment, Water, Tourism and Hospitality Industry set up a committee to investigate the allegations following an outcry in the media last May.

In its report which was presented to the House by the committee chairperson, Anastasia Ndhlovu, the committee absolved the mortuaries.

It further chided the country's media for allegedly blowing the alleged pollution out of proportion.

"The outcry by the media was rather exaggerated," said Ndhlovu, a proportional representation MP, while presenting the report to Parliament.

"The water and embalming fluids used on dead bodies were properly disposed of, Ndhlovu said.

The committee visited prominent funeral parlours Nyaradzo Group, Doves Funeral Services and Moonlight Profit Associates to verify the claims.

Ndlovu continued: "Based on the observations and findings from the visits that the committee made, no disposal of pollutants in water bodies that form sources of drinking water for residents was witnessed.

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Mortuaries exonerated over contamination charge