[Image]It is a tragedy that has galvanised an entire community into collective action to undo nature’s “mistake” that happened more than a decade and a half ago, changing their lives for the worse.River Tana changed its course 16 years ago, leaving tens of villages in the Tana Delta Sub-county without water to farm and for domestic use. Residents named the new tributary, formed over 10 kilometres from the original course, Matomba Brooke. Pokomo Council of Elders Secretary Bonaya Simei told Nation life was never the same again.“We had rich villages with very productive farms and trade was booming all year round. Today, everything looks hopeless,” he said. Mr Stance Gwiyo, a local farmer, used to pay school fees for needy learners in Ngao and Tarasaa villages but he stopped as his revenue sources ran dry.RELATEDLosses as ocean slowly swallows Kipini villageTana River Feb 09[Image]Tana River County Government intensifies drive to restore Kenya’s major wetlandSponsored by County Government of Tana River[Image]“I had a 20-acre farm that depended on the river. It used to fetch me Sh8 million from a good harvest of watermelons annually. Now, nothing can grow there,” he said.Efforts by the government to address the issue have failed and residents have been forced to take matters into their own hands. Armed with hoes and spades, more than 600 people drawn from 18 villages have camped at Matomba Brooke to dig a trench to divert the river back to its original course.“We can’t wait any longer. The government has been promising to help us but it appears it’s going to take long yet the rains have started falling upstream,” Mr Timson Maneno said.Villagers intend to dig a trench stretching more than 10 kilometres back to the river’s original course. Everyone has their work cut out for them: While the men do the digging, women have been tasked with cooking for them in the exercise that begins from 5 am to 7 pm.As the digging continues, another group of close to 300 men is tasked with creating a wall with bags of sand to cut off the river from flowing into the ditch. Locals reckon that it will take them a week to complete the trench, after which they will remove the wall of sand to allow the water to flow in.“More people are still coming [to help with the digging]. We are competing with the rains upstream. If the river starts flooding before we are finished, it will be difficult to divert it,” said Mr Maneno.Water scarcityHe said diverting the river will not only save crops from drying up but will also solve the problem of perennial water scarcity that has bedevilled the villages for years now.Ms Neema Mwarabu said locals are forced to use motorcycles that charge Sh600 per trip to ferry water. The government has made efforts before to restore the river back to its original course.According to the residents, the government sunk Sh48 million into the effort in 2008 but the initiative failed because engineers ignored the advice from locals on which area to dig.“Engineers might be learned but we know this river and how to restore it. But the government thinks our opinion is useless,” said Mr Papa Bishengo.Three attemptsInstitution of Engineers of Kenya Coast Chairman Mwaka Mungata agreed with Mr Bishengo, noting that the three attempts by government experts failed because they were digging uphill. He added, however, that the scheme will only be successful if Matomba Brooke is de-silted.“The residents are right and their efforts will yield fruit but only for a while until the trenches fill up with more silt when it rains. But with proper machinery, this river will return to its original course,” he said.Governor Dhadho Godhana said much more needs to be done apart from digging trenches as proposed by experts.He warned that the exercise if done carelessly without professional supervision, might cause worse effects in the future including flooding in the villages.“We understand the urgency of the matter but we would like to advise the residents to take a lot of precautions in the exercise they are undertaking,” he said.Digging was on its second day yesterday, with more people from a total of 22 villages expected to arrive at the site. BY DAILY NATION
posted by Breaking Kenya news at 12:03 on 22 Mar 2023
"A river of woes and trench locals hope is saving grace"
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