At least 14 people were on Friday arrested in Nairobi's Donholm interchange area for open air burning of used tyres.
Officials from the county government and the National Environment Management Authority took action after Donholm and Buruburu residents lodged complaints.
Those arrested are said to be in the business of burning worn-out tyres and reselling the lining wires to various steel companies.
“We have been here several times. But today we decided to take action and made several arrests on the ground,” county deputy environment boss Lawrence Mwangi said.
Mwangi said that the burning of tyres is a huge contribution to air pollution which is a health hazard to human life.
“We are taking away the wires which they got from the burnt tires and will also carry away the tyres,” he said.
He said the county will be very vigilant in the area and will also be on the lookout of people bringing in the tyres.
Mwangi said that the environment department has partnered other stakeholders to formulate air quality regulations in line with national guidelines.
“We will ensure that residents will not continue to suffer because of such actions,” he said.
County deputy director of operation Eva Wairuiko who led the operation said that the issue of burning tyres had persisted for a long time.
“The 14 people arrested will answer charges of air pollution so that we deter them from continuing with this offence,” she said.
Wairuiko appealed to all stakeholders in the government who have licensed such operations to revoke them.
The county also demolished illegal structures which had been stationed at that place.
“We have also removed the structures to ensure that those burning tyres do not have hideouts. This will also help us do our surveillance,” she said.
The operations will continue until all the tyres are gone and the place is left clean.
Nema county director Njoki Mukiri said that the authority recently gazetted the air quality regulations which prohibit any open burning.
“What is happening here is very harmful to human health because some of these tyres release very toxic chemicals,” she said.
(edited by O. Owino)
