Dahntuo Zone — The creek used for drinking purposes by more than 200 inhabitants of Dahntuo Zone on the Sanniquellie-Karnplay highway is contaminated by rock particles emitting from the Chinese Quarry Plant setup in the community by the China Railway Seventh Group (CRSG).
China Railway Seventh Group (CRSG) is a Chinese Company contracted by the Liberian Ministry of Public Works for the upgrading of the 47.1 km long Sanniquellie- Loguatuo Road.
A report released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on May 1, 2024 after an assessment visit to the area in April, uncovered a huge pile of mortar dumped by the company, and sediments from the mortar leached into the streams each time it rains, thus contaminating the water body the villagers rely on to fetch their drinking water.
The findings also noted that blasting of rocks at the quarry emits dust particles in the air that pose a risk to the villagers' health; adding that the company's activities also polluted an open well used as alternative drinking water source by the villagers.
The villagers had complained about the pollution of their water sources and their health conditions; thus prompting the investigation by the EPA.
Since the report was released by the EPA team, nothing has been done to address the situation as the villagers continue to suffer from the impact of the quarry plant.
During a recent visit to the community by this paper, the villagers expressed outrage over the alleged failure of the company to construct hand pumps in the area.
Due to the pollution of the streams, the residents claimed that they were advised by a team of visiting environmentalists that were on assessment along the road corridor not to fetch water from the creek for drinking and so they now have to dig pits in the various swamps to get water.
Beatrice Geh, a resident of Henry Barhn village, one of the villages under the Dahntuo Zone, said children and adults in the community experience a constant running stomach from the water they are drinking.
Madam Geh said for over four years since the commencement of the work by the Chinese company, they have experienced unusual illnesses.
She disclosed that two residents of the village died as a result of running stomachs.
"We had our well on the other side, but when the company came and blocked the creek, the dirty water entered our drinking water so we moved from there and came on this side to dig a hole to get water," Madam Geh said. "Anytime we drink from here, the big people and the children's stomachs can start running. I really want people to come and see the water we are drinking here that the Chinese people are doing nothing about; no hand pump at all in this whole area."
The chairlady for Dahntuo Zone, Esther Tarlo also narrated that whenever there is a blasting done at the quarry, villagers along the road will have to dip the water from their respective wells and wait for new water to set in before they can fetch water to drink or cook.
Madam Tarlo said in the event where they forget to dip the water from their wells, the entire area can experience diarrhea or other waterborne diseases because the water can be contaminated by the rock particles.
She said the situation is causing them serious embarrassment because they have to regularly take their children to a clinic to Karnplay or Zorgowee for medical attention whenever there is a diarrhea outbreak in the community.
Madam Tarlo said the water situation is not only affecting their health, it is also causing them serious economic hardship since they have to routinely visit the hospital.
She disclosed that on numerous occasions the company has conducted assessments and promised to construct hand pumps for them, but they are yet to make good their promise.
"Since the Chinese people came here, they have been spoiling our water. So, we have been digging from one place to another to get safe drinking water but it is difficult to come. When they are ready to blast rocks, their safety people will come to inform us so we can't drink the water and when we tell them that their work embarrassing us, they can tell us that they will tell their bosses but they can't do anything about it," Madam Tarlo narrated.
"The water is really giving us a hard time here. I was having two pregnant women in the village; the first one who went to give birth lost her child. The clinic told me the water was responsible for the problem that caused the child to die. The company told us to show them a place so they can construct a pump, but since we showed them the place, they have not returned. The only time we have safe drinking water is when it rains and we collect rainwater."
An elder of Dahntuo Zone, John Flomo said he is disappointed that the company is aware of their situation and doing nothing to remedy it.
Mr. Flomo said the company invited them to Karnplay and presented a book to them to document their challenges and they wrote everything down, but nothing has been done.
He said they were purchasing a sack of mineral water to drink, but due to the financial difficulties, they have gone back to drinking from the contaminated streams that they were told not to drink. Elder Flomo is calling on the county leadership and humanitarian organizations to render assistance to them
A Civil Society Activist who has been serving as spokesperson for the area, Pastor Samuel Karwoods said all efforts exerted by him to call the attention of the company and county authority to rescue the villagers of Dahntuo Zone have not materialized.
Pastor Karwoods said one of the villages in the zone has recorded twelve deaths within the last four years, attributing the death to the consumption of the contaminated streams.
He said the villagers have not gone on the rampage to protest for their welfare to be addressed because they want to peacefully engage stakeholders concern so as to get redress.
He disclosed that the report from the EPA office in the county has been distributed to the county leadership and other pressure groups to aid in the advocacy, but the situation still persists because the company is not taking action.
Karwoods said they are now engaging lawyers for legal advice to take the company to court for damaging the water of his people, but said the major challenge is the lack of resources to take the matter to court.
"When your water source is damaged, it means your health is at risk. We are talking about health risks over one hundred people are facing currently because of chemicals in the source of drinking water. In four years' time, the water source was damaged through blasting and the residents who are not educated to it have been drinking the water and we have had twelve deaths in the community in four years' time. We had good water here before the Chinese came to fix our road. The treatment our people are receiving is inhumane," Karwoods said.
When this paper contacted the authority of the Give them Hope Clinic in Karnplay where the villagers said they usually go for treatment, the Officer in Charge of the facility, Madam Zaye Zarweah said her clinic has been treating water related diseases, but it has been at a low level.
Madam Zarweah said it is not prevalent like malaria or other cases that are regularly treated at the facility.
Meanwhile, the county head of the Environmental Protection Agency in Nimba, Kingston G. David said it is true that streams in Dahntuo zone is polluted, but he cannot say the level of pollution until a scientific study is conducted by technicians from the EPA head office in Monrovia to establish the level of pollution being done to the environment by the company.
He disclosed that findings from the assessment done by the county team have been submitted to the head office of the EPA in Monrovia and that they are awaiting their bosses to act.
He said until the scientific studies can be conducted, it is difficult for the EPA to take action against the company.
Reacting to the community residents' claims, the Health and Safety Officer of the company clarified that the five villages that are raising the allegations are not in the company's buffer zone established and so it is impossible for their work to affect their drinking water.
Elizabeth Suah said all the villages that were to be directly affected by the operations of the quarry were given compensation and relocated; noting that villagers in Dahntuo Zone claims are not factual.
Madam Suah admitted that those villages lack access to safe water but noted that the situation has been there even before their quarry was constructed.
She disclosed that under the livelihood component of the road project, each one of the five villages are to benefit from a borehole, but said the construction has not been done because the European Investment Bank that is funding the program has not released funding for the implementation of the project.
Madam Suah said assessment has been conducted in the villages and contractors have been identified to carry out the construction, but they are waiting for funding from their partner to commence the work.
Also speaking, the resident Ministry of Public Works Engineer in Nimba, Anthony Siaway said the provision of water to the villages was to be done at the end of the project according to the contract between the company and the ministry, but because of the dire need of the villages they have decided to do the boreholes construction once funding is made available.
Mr. Siaway said the operations of CRSG have stalled for over three months because the donor funding the road work has not released funding to the company.
He assured the villagers that once the construction of boreholes for them is captured in the contract, they will definitely get safe water once the funding is released.
Siaway also said single mothers along the road corridor will benefit from small business grants under the company's livelihood program so as to empower them to support their families.
"They want to tell the people along the road corridor to know that the condition of the road was very deplorable, and the government has come in to help us so we should be patient and work with the government so the road business can be possible. We are here to make sure that everything in the contract will be done for our people," Siaway added.
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At the same time, the county leadership through the Human Resource Manager, Darius Vaye said the superintendent couldn't speak on the matter because there hasn't been a formal complaint filed to them by the villagers.
Mr. Vaye promised to meet with the spokesperson of the villagers to get full details about the situation to understand its severity before the county can give its position on the matter.
While the county leadership and the company continue to delay in addressing the water situation in the Dahntuo, the villagers will continue to rely on the contaminated water for drinking, cooking and washing among others.
The representative of Nimba Electoral District # 3, Nehker Gaye said he couldn't immediately comment on the matter as it is in the preview of the county superintendent to prevail on the company to address the plight of the people since it is within the contract agreement for them to construct wells for the people.
Global Health bodies have attributed the causes of diseases like diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid and poliomyelitis that kill more than 500,000 people worldwide every year to the consumption of toxic or contaminated water.
A WaterAid report on Liberia says that 4.1 million Liberians lack access to decent toilets of their own, while 1.3 million, almost a quarter of the population, don't have clean water close to their homes. It also noted that almost 500 children under the age of five die annually from diarrhea caused by dirty water, and poor toilets and hygiene.
Access to safe drinking water in Liberia is a significant challenge. Many communities rely on contaminated sources, leading to health issues like cholera and other waterborne diseases. The Liberian Government and partners are making efforts to improve water infrastructure, implement sanitation programs, and educate communities about hygiene. However, ongoing support and investment are crucial to ensure long-term access to clean water for all Liberians.
Dahntuo is just one of several communities in Liberia where residents are exposed to preventable health risks due to lack of access to safe water.
Many of these communities' water sources get contaminated by concessionaires operating in their areas who do little or nothing to correct the situation due to government leniency to prevail on them to provide safe water to people affected in their area of operations.
