OVERVIEW OF THE IMPACT OF MINING ON THE ... - IIED pubs

• Urban run off from towns and villages;
• Non-point sources of domestic effluent in the urban and rural areas;
• Contaminated (fertilizers and pesticides) return flows from larger farms; and
• Litter and garbage on the main road between Lusaka and Chipata.
3.17.2 Mining and mineral processing operations
There are several small alluvial gold operations in the area, with many artisan miners managing to eke out a
living. In addition, numerous artisan miners also extract semiprecious stones (especially garnet and
aquamarine) from pegmatites in the Lundazi District. The Tazara diamond kimberlite appears to be promising
(Table 3.16; Figure 3.4). The old asbestos mine at Lukusuzi has been abandoned.
Table 3.16: Mining operations in the Luangwa sub-catchment.
Code
Number
Name of Mine
Commodity (ies)
Mined
cxxxiv
Status
Relative
Size
Probable
Impact
Z-1 Mbeya Aquamarine Operating Very Small Very low – Low
Z-2 Chama-A Garnet Operating Very Small Very low
Z-3 Chama-B Aquamarine, Garnet Operating Small Low
Z-4 Lundazi-A Aquamarine Operating Artisan (many) Very low
Z-5 Lundazi Coal Operating Small Low
Z-6 Lundazi-B Aquamarine Operating Very Small Very low
Z-7 Lukusuzi Chrysotile asbestos Abandoned Small Very low
Z-8a Lundazi-C Aquamarine Operating Small Very low – Low
Z-8b Lundazi Claims Aquamarine Abandoned Artisan (many) Very low
Z-9 Tazara Diamond – kimberlite Prospecting Very small Very low
Z-10 Sasore Gold – alluvial Operating Small Low
Z-12 Nyimba-A Aquamarine Operating Small Very low
Z-13 Nyimba-B Aquamarine Operating Small Very low
Z-14 Luangwa Gold – alluvial Prospecting Small Low
Z-16 Hillcrest Gold – alluvial Prospecting Small Low
Z-63 Mpongo Lead, Zinc Prospecting Medium Low
Z-64 Chipirinyuma Lead, Zinc Prospecting Medium Low
Z-68 Chipata claims Gold - alluvial Operating Artisan (many) Low - Medium
3.17.3 Alluvial mining