Oil waste pollutes fish putting Unity state population at risk

The population in Unity State of South Sudan is increasingly at risk of catching complicated diseases leading to death due to rampant oil spills into rivers.

 Johnson Bol, the Director General for the Unity State Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries, said  on Thursday that a huge number of fish have died due to poor disposal of oil waste and chemicals by Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC) in Lalop area.

“The state ministry of animal resources and fisheries recently assessed fish deaths together with the World Health Organization (WHO), and we only found two reasons. The main reason was the chemical waste being disposed off in swampy areas and the other reason is due to water hyacinth,” Bol told The Juba Echo in Bentiu town on Thursday.

He advised GPOC to stop disposing off chemical waste in swampy areas to avoid fish deaths.

“We have really confirmed with World Health Organization that the death of fish is being caused by chemical waste in swampy areas,” Bol said.