Activists Slam South Africa Decision to Pump Water to Coal Mines

South African environmental groups have challenged the government’s decision to grant permission for a water project which aims to supply developments for its future coal reserves.

Authorizing a part of the Mokolo Crocodile (West) Water Augmentation Project, which would pump water to the coal-rich Waterberg region, is unlawful because the development “must be socially, environmentally and economically sustainable,” environmental groups Earthlife Africa and groundWork said in an appeal to the Department of Environmental Affairs.

South Africa relies on coal for more than 90 percent of its power generation. The Waterberg area has been considered the country’s future supply. It’s also ...