Illegal sand harvesting in Taita Taveta is stretching nature to its limits as tens of once-permanent continue to dry up.
The youths have been harvesting sand as their only source of income, according to a youthful trio of Peter Mwakera, John Maghua and Samson Kitawi.
“We have been harvesting sand from local rivers since the time we could hold a shovel. We grew into it and after secondary school, we dived deeper into the trade as our only source of income,” Mwakera said.
Oblivious to the adverse effects of their actions on the environment, the trio has no plans of venturing into a different economic activity.
Their future now hangs in the balance as rivers are slowly turning into trickles of water streams that will possibly dry up once the dry season sets in.
While the county has elaborate natural resource management and environmental protection legislation, illegal sand harvesting is rampant.
Abraham Juma said despite having comprehensive legislation to protect natural resources sand harvesting menace is beyond control.
Juma is the chairperson for the environment, natural resources, forestry and mining committee at the county assembly
"The perpetrators have come up with dirty tactics to defeat our legislation and security,” he said.
"At midnight, illegal sand harvesters descend on river banks and scoop the sand, shoveling it into trucks with running engines and by 5 am they are gone."
To avert a looming environmental disaster, the county, national government and the National Environmental Management Authority have partnered to educate residents on the need for conservation.
The awareness campaign focuses on the impact of illegal sand harvesting on river banks and encourages residents to abide by the regulations of the county's environmental protection and resource management team.
“We’re collaborating with the national government through its officers, ministries, agencies and non-governmental organisations to spread the awareness of environmental protection and conservation," Edith Kalo, Nema official based in Mwatate said.
"We hope for a behavioural and attitude change if we are to reverse the far-reaching effects of climate change and wanton destruction of the environment."
(Edited by Tabnacha O)
