Kisumu County Environment Committee members today held a meeting in the boardroom at the Prosperity House to discuss and outline lasting solutions towards decommissioned quarries, and pollution that have posed environmental threat in the county.
The abandoned quarries have been identified as risky to the community; causing death, inhabiting mosquitoes that threaten human health and are also a threat to adjacent lands which may collapse.
Concerning pollution, it has been noted that noise pollution has been on the increase, while the use of single plastics is gradually creeping back despite being banned.
While chairing the Environmental Committee meeting, the CECM for Environment, Water, Natural Resources and Climate Change, Mr. Salmon Orimba led the members into finding solutions to the identified environmental challenges.
All the quarry owners are required to restore the quarries to almost the original state of the land and that no quarry should operate without a license from the Ministry of Mining and Petroleum.
Measures have been put in place to sensitize the public of the dangers on the use of single plastics through the market masters.
The notorious sectors on noise pollution have been put on notice to stop forth with. They will be reached individually to comply with the noise regulations failure to which they risk their licenses being withdrawn.
Apart from providing solutions to the environmental challenges, the committee is also concerned with Argo-forestry through the Kisumu County Greening Initiative.
The County has partnered with Equity Bank and planted 50,000 tree seedlings in schools with 50,000 more seedlings to be planted.
The Kenya Pipeline in collaboration with the County, are working to adopt 30 hectares to plant trees.
In addition, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is now working with the County in identifying tree nursery vendors and supporting them to produce more tree seedlings for planting. They have donated shredders and boilers to aid waste recycling and are also sensitizing the community groups on waste recycling.
Ahero town being the pilot area, they are currently producing bio gas from the solid waste collected from the market.
The County Environment Committee was formed through a gazette notice in 2019 with the mandate to coordinate matters environment within Kisumu County.
It comprises the CECM for Environment, Water, Natural Resources and Climate Change as the Chairperson, NEMA as the Secretary, the Members are Water Resource Authority, State Department of mines and Geology, Kenya Forest Services (KFS), County Commissioner, Chief Officer Environment, Chief Officer Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Director in charge of Environment, City Directorate of Environment, Director Fisheries and Director Trade.
By: Millicent Owuoth, Kate Owuoche and Gloria
