‘The last drops of our water’: how a mine left some of Peru’s poorest high and dry

‘The last drops of our water’: how a mine left some of Peru’s poorest high and dry

Antamina, in the Andes, makes billions thanks to the green tech boom. But locals say they are being poisoned by arsenic, losing their water and sinking further into poverty

A chilly breeze passes along the shore of Lake Contonga, 4,400 metres up in the Peruvian Andes. Julio Rimac Damian, from the nearby village of Challhuayaco, points to the mud under his feet. “All this used to be covered with water,” he says.

A canal running from the lake that is supposed to carry water to lowland villages has also run dry. Damian says the water began to disappear two years ago when a mining company started exploratory drilling in Peru’s highlands.

Continue reading…Antamina, in the Andes, makes billions thanks to the green tech boom. But locals say they are being poisoned by arsenic, losing their water and sinking further into povertyA chilly breeze passes along the shore of Lake Contonga, 4,400 metres up in the Peruvian Andes. Julio Rimac Damian, from the nearby village of Challhuayaco, points to the mud under his feet. “All this used to be covered with water,” he says.A canal running from the lake that is supposed to carry water to lowland villages has also run dry. Damian says the water began to disappear two years ago when a mining company started exploratory drilling in Peru’s highlands. Continue reading… 

Antamina, in the Andes, makes billions thanks to the green tech boom. But locals say they are being poisoned by arsenic, losing their water and sinking further into poverty

A chilly breeze passes along the shore of Lake Contonga, 4,400 metres up in the Peruvian Andes. Julio Rimac Damian, from the nearby village of Challhuayaco, points to the mud under his feet. “All this used to be covered with water,” he says.

A canal running from the lake that is supposed to carry water to lowland villages has also run dry. Damian says the water began to disappear two years ago when a mining company started exploratory drilling in Peru’s highlands.

Continue reading… Global development, Peru, Mining, World news, Environment, Americas, El Niño southern oscillation, Pollution Environment | The Guardian

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *