Environmental Pollution in Urban Areas
Environmental degradation has become a major problem especially in urban centres. This is mainly as a result of growing industrialization, urbanization, development of new technologies etc. Most of these developments are usually geared towards the economic empowerment of the people or the nation as a whole.
People usually move to urban areas in search of employment opportunities especially in the various industries which have come up. This will be on an effort to earn themselves a means of livelihood. As a result, this leads to growth of urban centres.
In Kenya, most of the industries dump their untreated wastes into the environment just because they consider it to be too expensive to have the wastes treated to the required standards before they are released. Some of them usually consider that the environment is available at no cost so they don't usually mind even if they are polluting it. An example is the Webuye Paper Mill which is known to release toxic gaseous emissions such as sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere and produces a very foul smell. They would also release their untreated waste water into the Nzoia river. This leads to the pollution of the water and can cause various diseases to the local people. Another recent example is that of the lead recycling factory in Changamwe's Owino Uhuru slum which exposed the employees and people living in the neighborhood to toxic wastes from the factory and this caused alot of health problems to those who were directly exposed. Such industries would put lives at risk just to avoid the cost of proper disposal of wastes. With lack of a clear environmental policy, then they are also likely to get away without compensating the victims.
Sometimes there are also cases of corruption, where some senior officials of the government are bribed so that these private businesses can dump wastes in the environment using cheap and unacceptable means. Some years back, there was the case of the container in Mombasa which contained nitric acid that was being transported to a neighbouring country for dumping. This acid started to leak and the owners decided to dump it by the roadside. This had a very adverse effect on the local residents for example skin complications and miscarriages.
There have also been several cases of asbestos being dumped in various parts of the country with the most recent one being found at Makongeni area of Thika. It could be possible that the same corrupt deals could have been undertaken by some individuals in order to have this container brought into the country for dumping. It has been noted that most developed countries usually bring their toxic wastes to third world countries where they find it cheaper to do the dumping. They do this so as to maximize on their profits.
In Kenya, there are political leaders who have made decisions and statements that have led to environmental degradation in urban centres so that they can gain political mileage. A good example of this is during the campaign period in the run up to the 2007 general elections, the president allowed hawkers into the central business district of Nairobi city. Previously, these hawkers had been forbidden from operating in the CBD. With the directive from the president, they came and filled the streets within the city centre. As a result, these streets became too congested, it became too noisy and the streets were very dirty. This lowered the aesthetic quality of the environment within the city centre. This kind of a situation is not always appealing to a visitor. The congestion could make one feel like he/she is being incarcerated due to the challenges in movement. This declaration was made by the president so that he could win the support of hawkers at the expense of the environment.
Proper care is necessary for the urban environment to be maintained well. We have a responsibility to ensure we live in a safe environment, so let's all be mindful of our actions.
People usually move to urban areas in search of employment opportunities especially in the various industries which have come up. This will be on an effort to earn themselves a means of livelihood. As a result, this leads to growth of urban centres.
In Kenya, most of the industries dump their untreated wastes into the environment just because they consider it to be too expensive to have the wastes treated to the required standards before they are released. Some of them usually consider that the environment is available at no cost so they don't usually mind even if they are polluting it. An example is the Webuye Paper Mill which is known to release toxic gaseous emissions such as sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere and produces a very foul smell. They would also release their untreated waste water into the Nzoia river. This leads to the pollution of the water and can cause various diseases to the local people. Another recent example is that of the lead recycling factory in Changamwe's Owino Uhuru slum which exposed the employees and people living in the neighborhood to toxic wastes from the factory and this caused alot of health problems to those who were directly exposed. Such industries would put lives at risk just to avoid the cost of proper disposal of wastes. With lack of a clear environmental policy, then they are also likely to get away without compensating the victims.
Sometimes there are also cases of corruption, where some senior officials of the government are bribed so that these private businesses can dump wastes in the environment using cheap and unacceptable means. Some years back, there was the case of the container in Mombasa which contained nitric acid that was being transported to a neighbouring country for dumping. This acid started to leak and the owners decided to dump it by the roadside. This had a very adverse effect on the local residents for example skin complications and miscarriages.
There have also been several cases of asbestos being dumped in various parts of the country with the most recent one being found at Makongeni area of Thika. It could be possible that the same corrupt deals could have been undertaken by some individuals in order to have this container brought into the country for dumping. It has been noted that most developed countries usually bring their toxic wastes to third world countries where they find it cheaper to do the dumping. They do this so as to maximize on their profits.
In Kenya, there are political leaders who have made decisions and statements that have led to environmental degradation in urban centres so that they can gain political mileage. A good example of this is during the campaign period in the run up to the 2007 general elections, the president allowed hawkers into the central business district of Nairobi city. Previously, these hawkers had been forbidden from operating in the CBD. With the directive from the president, they came and filled the streets within the city centre. As a result, these streets became too congested, it became too noisy and the streets were very dirty. This lowered the aesthetic quality of the environment within the city centre. This kind of a situation is not always appealing to a visitor. The congestion could make one feel like he/she is being incarcerated due to the challenges in movement. This declaration was made by the president so that he could win the support of hawkers at the expense of the environment.
Proper care is necessary for the urban environment to be maintained well. We have a responsibility to ensure we live in a safe environment, so let's all be mindful of our actions.
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