The Njuri Ncheke Council of Elders has cautioned residents against contaminating streams used for domestic purposes after the body of an infant was recently found dumped in one of the water points.
The elders called upon the residents around or near the streams and rivers to observe high standards of hygiene by ensuring that environment around the water canals were clean.
They asked residents to observe decency by avoiding habits like urinating, defecating, washing and indiscriminate dumping of waste materials into the water bodies.
The elders condemned the disposal of the infant terming it a barbaric act after unknown individual tossed the one-day old infant into Bwothonaro stream running from Mporoko swamp to Tana River.
The incident happened near Njoune market in Igembe East ward where preliminary reports indicated that the act was committed in the wee hours of the night when nobody was around the area.
The residents who had gone to fetch water from the stream were shocked when they discovered an infant dumped in the stream early in the morning.
The Council of Elders also visited the scene and called upon the security agencies to immediately conduct investigations to bring the woman who dumped the infant to book.
“We urge the members of the community to shun from the culture of water contamination which has been commonly reported in the area,” maintained the Njuri Ncheke chairman, Linus Kathera.
He asked residents to observe cleanliness around the river saying the water source served thousands if not millions of people downstream especially now that outbreaks of water borne diseases were reported in some parts of the country.
“Water sources should be treated with respect and decency since its quality is of great significance to human health,” he added.
He called the residents to be at the forefront in promoting water cleanliness and the environment in general to avoid water borne diseases like cholera.
The chairman of the council further cautioned culprits involved in the theft and breakage of the water pipes, water metres and gate bulbs which has been rampant in the neighbouring areas of Maili Tatu adding that the culprits would attract curses from elders if they were not ready to return the stolen materials.
He further advised the residents to plant more indigenous trees and uproot blue gum trees planted near water sources.
By Kamanja Maeria
