Face death or die poor, the choice Meru stone miners have to make

Mr Dennis Mung'athia chips off a piece from a giant boulder in the scorching sun at Charuru quarry in Meru.

But despite an accident at the quarry that left one of his employees dead in January, he continues with his work unperturbed.

Mr Muriuki told the Nation.co.ke that he has two choices. Risk of death or loss of income.

“We have to break the stones for a living. We have no other activity to depend on,” he asserts.

But despite the risk of death and diseases, many unemployed youths in Meru continue to excavate stones and murram in life threatening quarries.

It is these unregulated quarrying activities that has the environment watchdog concerned.

Fatal accidents in these quarries have led to the loss of life and inflicted serious injuries on the miners.

In the last two years, at least six mine accidents have been reported in the county.

In July 2014, four people were killed when a quarry caved-in at Nkinyang’a in Igembe Central. Workers were loading sand on a lorry when the walls of the quarry collapsed, trapping them inside.

Seven other sand harvesters managed to escape with injuries from the falling boulders.

In April 2015, two people were killed in a landslide at a quarry at Kamuramba village. The quarry’s manager, Mr Luke Maingi, said the workers had been advised against continuing murram extraction but the order was ignored.

Mr Maingi said in the past three years, seven people had lost their lives at the quarry.

On October 1, 2015, five people excavating stones at Kabauni quarry in South Imenti perished after it collapsed.

Witnesses said strong winds could have uprooted trees at the top of the quarry, which led to the boulders falling and trapping the miners inside.

And in December last year, one person died and two others escaped unhurt after a quarry collapsed at the infamous Mutonga quarry.

Recently, one person died at Charuru village in Tigania East after a quarry collapsed due to heavy rains.

National Environment Management Authority (Nema) Meru County director Bashir Salim said unchecked mining activities have also led to the continued degradation of the environment.

“We have closed 10 sites which are unsafe for mining and excavation. We understand people eke out a living in these sites but we don’t hesitate to warn them that it is not safe.

“However, sadly, the warnings are not taken seriously and they continue with their work. Most of the accidents are reported in South Imenti and Tigania East sub-counties,” Mr Salim said.

Another 20 machine cut quarries are operational after Nema approved their Environment Impact Assessment (EIA).

“We reject licensing of projects perceived to be of major environmental concern. We have to observe due process,” said Mr Salim.

The director called for a coordinated approach between them and the county government in regulating quarrying activities.

“We are in charge of policy and the county should enforce the by-laws. We once did a sensitisation programme with miners but we need to do that more often,” he said.

On the controversy surrounding the Nkunga dumpsite in the Lower Imenti Forest, Mr Salim said: “We are happy with the county’s compliance to an earlier order regarding disposal of waste there. However, we want them to adhere to all regulations regarding waste disposal so that it’s safe.”

Some locals have been resisting dumping of waste at the area saying it is a health hazard.

The county government has been forced to hire armed security to escort waste disposal vehicles to the site.