Quarry workers claim Nyeri water company has directed raw sewage to their site
Quarry workers at Gatei in Nyeri County on November 23, 2016 inspect a pool of stagnant water inside an area where they mining construction stones. They have accused blamed a local water and sewerage company of letting raw sewer flow into the quarry. The company has denied the claims saying it is rain water that has filled the quarry. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The workers now say they are counting losses worth hundreds of thousands of shillings.
- Gatundu quarry workers say they cannot not carry out their work as Nyewasco had drained raw sewage into their place of work.
- They also claim that it has become a trend by the company to release raw waste whenever rains begin.
More than 100 quarry workers in Kiganjo, Nyeri County have been forced to abandon their work after the Nyeri Water and Sewerage Company )Nyewasco) allegedly drained raw sewage into their site.
The workers now say they are counting losses worth hundreds of thousands of shillings as they cannot work in the polluted quarry as they fear contracting diseases.
The workers at Gatundu quarry say they cannot not carry out their work because Nyewasco had drained raw sewage into their place of work resulting to losses estimated at over Sh200,000.
Following heavy rains, the quarry adjacent to the treatment plant has been filled up with water which the workers claim was released by the company.
They also claim that it has become a trend by the company to release raw waste whenever rains begin.
One of the workers, Mr Samuel Ngatia, said that they have been forced to abandon the site over fears of disease outbreak.
FEAR OF DISEASE OUTBREAK
“For two days we have not worked because of the refuse which can cause an outbreak of diseases like cholera. This is causing great loss to us,” said Mr Ngatia.
They further claim that the free-flowing water has loosened the soil on the edges of the quarries putting them at risk of collapsing on workers.
They have demanded that the company redirects the water away from the quarry and that they be compensated for the losses.
“For two days we have not worked and that affects us badly and if the company does not act immediately we will not be able to go back to work any time soon,” said Mr Joseph Kabugi, another worker.
NYEWASCO DENIES CLAIMS
The workers also want Nyewasco to bring in machines to excavate the mud that has partially covered up the quarry.
When contacted, Nyewasco technical director Peter Kahuthu dismissed the claims saying that the water was not sewage but rain water.
“It has been raining and it is only natural that the quarry will fill up with water as it flows through gravity.
“We assessed the situation and the water is mere rain water not sewage,” said Mr Kahuthu.
He further noted that the company would not carry out any excavation as it is not liable.
“What is happening is not our fault so we cannot go on to drain the quarries,” he added.
