Acid River

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-34173746

As though growing things in Africa was hard enough, a village in Zambian has had its water supply polluted with run off from a copper mine. The communities of Hippo Pool, Kakosa, Shimulala and Hellen have taken the Vedanta Resources Plc mine to court due to the poisoning of the water. Not only is their drinking water polluted, these communities have now been denied farming land due to the runoff polluting the area. Peoples health have also began to take a turn for the worse due to the dirty water.

A whistle blower for the Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) that owns the mine has stated how the company has cut various corners and dumped various toxins in the water. The company has stated that they have been careful but previous cases against them have proven elsewhere. The company was sued successfully in 2011 under a similar case in Chingola. While careless polluting is harmful by itself, the fact that it can ruin the livelihoods of the residents make these cases fatal to African communities.