Presented by Che elvis
BACKGROUND
There has been a general and rising interest among nation states on environmental issues, most especially environmental protection of water sources since after the United Nation’s Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), which is also called the ‘Earth Summit”, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 1992. It was the summit that sensitized most national governments, Municipal councils and city or towns worldwide to re-examine issues of the environment in general and water sources in particular along side with those of development. Theoretically this conference expected Nations and their citizens to recognize the rather complimentary relationship which exist between development and the environment. Practically, most nations even began to redefine national security to include the protection of water sources from both internal and external aggression (Chiras, 1994).
INTRODUCTION
River Ndongo as it is called locally is a stream that passes through Molyko in Buea down towards Mile 14. It joins others streams at Mutengene and probably heads towards the sea in Limbe. The water is used for vary purposes along its path; drinkable at its source, agriculture particularly tomatoes at UB gate, general cleaning and laundry water around the Dirty south parts of Molyko, car wash at Mile 14 and Mutengene
The River originates at Ndongo quarters(which is named after the river) as a clean underground spring which is “pure” and drinkable. The BOD at the source is less than 3mg per Litre and it is classified as class 1A, but the purity decreases significantly downstream. Ndongo quarter is around Boston, between Molyko and Bunduma, Buea.
The people there have no alternate source of water such as pipe borne water and have to use their underground spring despite some of the problems that occur.
WATER PROBLEMS FACED
Firstly the inhabitants of this locality have serious water problems as seasons change. During the dry season, strong winds carry a lot of dust that settles on the water even at the source and since the inhabitants are stereotyped on the fact that their parents drank it for generations, they do not filter before drinking. Where as in the heart of the rainy season on the other hand, dissolved greenhouse gases go into the stream as well as dirty water from runoff, giving the water a brown coluor and making it undrinkable.
The inhabitants themselves, especially children are the main sources of major problems faced. If some one defecates around the source for instance, the smell scares off those who come to fetch water giving the impression that the water is dirty.
Also inhabitants swim when they return from their farms just at the point where drinking water is carried, making the water contaminated at that point.
Apart from swimming, some inhabitants go as much as dumping refuge too close to the source which increases the concentration of microorganism close to the source that can lead to serious infection problems.
Being in a volcanic region, the purity of the underground spring can be accounted for by the heavy filtration processes taking place underneath facilitated by volcanic rocks, but during earth tremors like in Mt Fako eruptions, the water becomes very unsafe for drinking.
Very little scientific work is carried out in the river despite the close to 400 persons who depend on it for drinking. Previous work shows that the source has almost negligible traces of heavy metals which could be related to volcanic activity.
Another problem is risk of pandemics such as cholera due to pollution from various sources, both defined and undefined.
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
The first people to blame for the water problems are the inhabitants who do very little to maintain hygiene at the source. The inhabitants swim, do laundry and deposit refuge quite close to the source that can easily result in pollution problems.
Also, nature is responsible for the water problems faced at Ndongo quarter. The inhabitants only depend on the underground spring supplied by the aquifers which are water buried strata beneath the ground and cannot explain the purity of the aquifer at any specific point in time. Heavy leaching for instance can pollute and aquifer and hence springs.
Also nature causes changes in climate that go a long way in dirtying the water. Rain brings dissolved greenhouse gases as well as runoffs while winds carry dust that settles on the stream.
Another party to take responsibility for the water problems faced is the Government.
The locality is inhabited mainly by farmers and unfortunately is not supplied by pipe borne water probably because the inhabitants find it needless to complain to the Government, says an inhabitant. Inhabitants are therefore forced to rely uniquely on the underground spring even after the rains when the water appears slightly brown.
Also the Government has failed to do much research on the spring so as to publicly declare its purity or impurity in specific seasons. Inhabitants therefore survive on the hope of its purity.
SOLUTIONS PROPOSED
1 Sensitization
The inhabitants should be sensitized on how to keep their water source clean. Clean up campaigns should be organized on daily or weekly basis to cut grass around the source and remove all dirt dumped even several meters from the source. Individuals dumping refuge should be sanctioned by the quarter head and it should be a pleasant responsibility to maintain purity of the stream.
2 Filtration and purification
Inhabitants should be thought to use simple purification techniques such as sand and cotton in bottles such that pollution should be minimized despite the problems encountered as seasons change. Filtration and purification such as the use of Chlorine can greatly reduce or even avoid completely the chance of outbreak of a pandemic. Click here to learn a simple filtering experiment
3 Introduction of pipe borne water
If pipe borne water is brought to this locality by the government a great deal of problems will be solved especially those that cannot be avoided at the local level as seasons change. In this way, at such periods inhabitants will simply run to their taps as the water has gone through several steps of filtration and purification.
Already, however, the local community has introduced community water at some points which is free for every one.
4 Scientific research
Research should be carried out such that purity of the water source should be documented. Research can also predict contamination right before time such as mountain tremors that release heavy metals to aquifers and consequently to springs.
CONCLUSION
The government of Cameroon was part of the ‘Earth Summit’ in 1992 and is taking great measures in environmental protection particularly water sources.
Ndongo is one of the neighbourhoods that benefit from underground water as unique source of consumable water and therefore deserves some protection as stipulated in the summit.
Ndongo river serves several purposes beyond drinking, ranging from agriculture to carwash.
Inhabitants face many problems including pollution due to seasonal changes, poor waste disposal near the stream and risk of possible outbreak of pandemics
Both nature, the inhabitants themselves and the government is responsible for the problems faced by the inhabitants drinking from the stream.
Some of the solutions proposed to counter the problems encountered include; sensitization of the general public on hygienic practices, filtration and purification before consumption, introduction of pipe borne water to supplement natural supply and improvement on research work to predict purity or possibility of pandem
REFERENCES
Inhabitants of Ndongo quarters
CHM 402 notes by Dr Lydia Lifongo and Dr Tening
Cornelius M, Lambi 2001, Environmental issues: Problems and Prospects, page 23
David Waugh, An Integrated Approach to Geography
LIST OF INHABITANTS INTERVIEWED
- YONI NJIE
- PETER AGBOR
- MBAKO FRANCIS
- EYAMBI PRISCILIQ
- EPOSI ANABEL
- NDIFOR FRANK
- ISAIAH CHE
- FONJONG
- ENGEMA
10. BAH DAMIEN
11. GWENDOLIE
12. MUH NOBERT ADAMU
13. EYONG SHU
UB STUDENTS DRINKING FROM THE SOURCE
14. NELSON EYONG ARREY
15. TAKAN CHUNG HARRISON
16. ETAH TIKU
17. ZACH CHIDI
18. VICTOR ANJONEK
19. NEH MIRABEL
15 Aug
