By Kenya Engineer
Hot News!
Lake Natron Resources Ltd, a joint venture between the National Development Corporation of Tanzania and Tata Chemicals Ltd of India, who own Magadi Soda Company, plan to construct a soda ash factory near Tanzania’s Lake Natron with a capacity of producing 500,000 metric tonnes of soda annually.
The International Finance Corporation has agreed to help finance the project. Tata says it will build an access road and a pipeline to enable it to transport soda slurry across the lake.
An impact environmental assessment study prepared by Norconsult (T) Limited has given the project the green light and has concluded that no danger has been identified to preclude the development.
However, the proposed development has met with much criticism from environmental organizations who argue that the lake is the only remaining significant breeding ground for the endangered lesser flamingo which accounts for 75 per cent of the world flamingo population.
The birds nest in the middle of the vast salt flats on the lake and are known to be extremely sensitive to disturbance during breeding.
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