Kenya: Dump site threatens health
The Dandora municipal waste site east of Nairobi continues to pose environmental and health risks even after a study recommended its closure, said specialists.
“The dumpsite is a big, big health problem and it has had a very bad impact on the environment,” Njoroge Kimani, a biochemist, said, adding that the unrestricted dumping of domestic, industrial, hospital and agricultural waste at the city's main dumping site was cause for concern.
“The land cannot be used for domestic and agricultural use,” Kimani told IRIN.
The dumpsite occupies about 30 acres, with at least 2,000 tonnes of waste deposited daily. It is near the informal settlements of Kariobangi north and Korogocho, as well as the Dandora and Baba ndogo residential estates.
Kimani, who was the principal investigator in a 2007 study of the site, said it had significantly affected the environment and people living nearby. “The waste clogs the drainage systems, and spreads all over into the residential areas.” The Nairobi River, which passes near the dumpsite, has also been polluted by waste seeping into it.
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