Farmers in Tana Delta Sub-County are facing losses after River Tana changed its course in the Madhobe area.
Osman Babu who plants onions, watermelons and green grams said more than 7000 people depend on the river for their livelihood, he urged Tana leaders to intervene.
The farmers called on the county government to divert the river to its original course as more than 3000 acres under crop production are at risk of wilting.
Edward Wambua, a farmer in Dalu village said the river started charting a new course in July and become worse in August. Their efforts to divert the river haven’t borne fruits due to lack of machinery.
“We are trying to divert the river for water to flow down because we have gone without water flowing for two weeks now. The water helps us in farming and we have crops in the field. I have seven acres; six acres of tomatoes and one acre of watermelons,” said Edward Wambua.
He went on, “At the moment there is no water, and the crops are wilting. We need help for the water to flow back to our farms.”
Rev. Amor Charo, from Tarasaa village, says, I have been a farmer for the past five years, farming watermelon and we depend on this river.
“But as we speak it has become a challenge because the river has dried up as I have eight acres in Gumba area water is the challenge,’’ said Rev. Charo.
He added that the changing of the river course has affected schools and hospitals in Ngao, Dalu, Tarasaa, Golbante and Chara villages. Tarasaa has one borehole which is serving the whole village.
He said, “There is one well in Tarasaa that serves many people whose mothers have to go out at dawn to fetch water.”
Livestock farmers are also suffering as they are forced to trek for kilometres in search of water.
By Sadik Hassan
