A Chinese firm has been banned from mining sand in seasonal rivers as the activity harms the environment.
Environment and natural resources executive John Makau yesterday said the Synohydro Corporation was carrying out illegal sand mining.
Residents have previously complained, saying the firm contracted to tarmac the Kibwezi-Kitui road was harvesting sand in the Tiva seasonal river. Makau visited the river on Wednesday and said there was unlicensed sand mining going on.
“The road construction firm has broken the law and we had to ban them from sand mining which is environmentally destructive. They are using huge earth movers to load sand on lorries which amounts to mining of sand and not sand harvesting,” Makau said.
The county only allows loading of sand into lorries using hand-held shovels. Those engaged in the business must get permits from the county. “The Chinese contractor does not have the said permit,” Makau said.
The county said residents living around the river were exposed to danger with the dug pools often left unfenced.
Makau said the firm’s activities were not permitted by the National Environmental Management Authority. He said the firm had previously sought licensing from the county to harvest sand and given conditions to be met. “They never came back,” Makau said.
