Residents of Maua town and its environs have been urged to desist from dumping garbage into Mbooni river which is the major source for domestic water in the area.
The Maua town administrator, Timothy Mwenda said dumping garbage into the river is the major cause of health hazards such as impaired vision, respiratory problems and skin diseases that are being experienced in the area.
“Water pollution has been a major concern in this area and Meru county at large but business community continue dumping garbage into the river despite the provision of temporary dust bins in strategic locations of the towns,” said Mwenda.
The administrator said it is very unfortunate that the people continue to dump garbage into the rivers and then cry foul when their kin downstream contract waterborne diseases after consuming the contaminated water.
“We have tried to sensitize the people on the need for garbage dumping in the temporary bins but people including businessmen continue playing ignorance by dumping unwanted materials into the river,” stressed Mwenda.
“It also came to our attention that some people who exhaust toilets work at night so that they can release the waste into rivers to avoid detection. We ask the citizens to be in the forefront in environmental management,” said the town administrator.
The administrator who spoke to KNA in his office on Wednesday was reacting to complaints by Maua residents that polluted and untreated water has been causing serious health complications to many of them.
A spot check by KNA in Maua town and its environs revealed that harmful chemicals are also disposed into the soil besides being dumped into the river.
By Cynthia Kaberia/Kamanja Maeria
