Recently, I was strolling around Kombolcha, a town in the Amhara regional state, toward Werqa River. I saw passersby spitting and cursing in murmur. Suddenly, a bad and disturbing smell triggered me to sneeze out ceaselessly. I walked away hurriedly and asked the passersby where the smell was coming from. Muhe Yimam, 38, who lived his entire life in the neighborhood, said “we have been in this smelling condition since BGI Kombolcha was built here in 1998.
We have complained to all concerned bodies that the smell and the waste water from BGI brewery factory, which is being discharged to the river, are posing a threat to our lives. As a result of this, our people are struggling with asthma, sinus, leg swelling, even my nephew has lost his three cows after he drank them from the river.”
This river had been our recreational zone, now we are obliged to keep our children indoors fearing that they might get sick if they go to there, said Muhe desperately. Then I headed to the nearby Kom bolcha Catholic Holy Savior School which is located by the river, and talked to Mulugeta Guchu, a vice director of the school. He said that the smell is really disturbing. “A lot of parents, employees and students have complained to us to do something about it. Although, the pipe, the waste is transported by, passes through our door, we could not do anything than complaining about it to the town’s administration” he said.
Ahmed Idris License Issuance and Renewing Officer said on phone that BGI Ethiopia Kombolcha Brewery has never been transparent about its waste water treatment. “Whilst we tried to communicate with the management of the Brewery, they kept on patronizing us saying that ‘the waste water treatment is beyond your understanding.’ It has been challenging to get neither the appropriate information, nor are our feedbacks considered.”
As to the Officer, there is also limitation in their side that they don’t have the pH to measure the amount of acidity the brewery discharges along with its waste water to the nearby river. As a result, the Brewery has been out of control. However, “this year’s plan is to scale up our capacity in order for the waste water get under control.” Kebede Yimer, Head of Kombolcha Health Bureau asserted, “we have been receiving a lot of complaints that the waste water is exposing the community to various problems”.
According to Kebede, who is also a vice mayor of the town, BGI is the only factory in the community that is discharging its waste water to the river. Previously, Kombolcha Tannery and Rahmer Paint factory used to discharge to the same river called Werqa, however, Rahmer now is accumulating its waste inside its compound, whilst the tannery ceased its operation for some reason. So, it is only BGI that discharges its waste to the river.
Birtukan Adane, Hygiene and Sanitation Officer of Kombolcha 03 Health Center on her part said that her office has been observing that the smell from the discharged waste is causing respiratory problems to the community. At the first place, she said, factories should not be planted around rivers since the rivers are being used for irrigation and other development activities. “My predecessor had tried to get it closed but an order from federal government prevented the closure from happening.”
“Then I went to BGI Brewery to talk to the management body. Initially, the BGI Ethiopia Kombolcha Brewery management was hesitant to talk to me. Although, they changed their mind, later on, for some reason, I was received with intimidating vibe.
Mersha Asmamaw, Kombolcha BGI site manager, said; “We have heard all the rumors about us and are baseless. The Brewery’s waste water treatment is perfect. All we can say is come and see how we do treat the waste water before it is discharged to the river. It is completely harmless and pure water that can be used for watering plants.”
Melkamu Gedf, a chief chemist gave me a tour to the waste water treatment site with expertise explanation. “This sophisticated waste water treatment technology was planted with 1.5 million Birr just to treat the waste water before it is discharged to the river,” he said. “Although the solid wastage extracted from the waste water is being researched by a PhD researcher for further use, it’s being used as a fertilizer; the chief chemist went on to say.
Pointing out to the gardens in the compound, the chemist said “as you can see, these plants are being watered and fertilized with the treated wastage.” Then he brought me a glass of waste water from its final phase for sample to smell. As far as I can tell, it was merely water, smell-less water.
If BGI is genuine, and no one is discharging to the river, except BGI, who is then responsible for the misery the community has been going through?
Mulu-Birhan Tariku, Director of Environment Pollution and Climate Change Control and Supervision of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Commission, on phone said that she has sent experts to Kombolcha town, last Tuesday, to bring sample from the waste water for laboratory to test.
According to her, the experts visited the BGI brewery’s waste water treatment last year and it was not perfect, but encouraging.
Herald December 7/2018
BY BELAY ADUGNA
