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{
    "id": 701509,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/701509/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 351,
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Finally, Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, among the important recommendations made by the Assembly; the Committee recommends that the project provides for resources and develops a work plan for rehabilitation, reforestation and restoration of the Aberdare Forest which is the catchment area for the Northern Water Collector Tunnel. Remember, when we were in the Coalition Government, the Prime Minister fought so hard for the Mau Forest as a water tower to be preserved. The same might be done to Aberdare Forest. It is clear that this project will affect Aberdare Forest as a water tower. From my own reading, I have read substantially about these tunnels across the world about where they have been built. There are cases where they have been abandoned halfway because studies reveal that they are adversely affecting aquifers or the underground water tanks on which we survive from our rivers and which replenish the soils above. It must be understood that in our need to extract water underground, we do not deplete the undergrounds tanks. I call them tanks and they are aquifers because I think the word “tank” is easier to understand. If these tunnels of the extraction of water are going to affect those aquifers, we should be reassured by those implementing the project. It has been said in the document that the waters going to be collected are only flood waters. Again, this technical report by Murang’a County Government has raised certain questions and issues about these flood waters. To what extent are these rivers going to get flood waters in the future? Secondly, what are the sources of these flood waters? Are these flood waters enough to sustain the collection of water for the consumption of the growing urban areas in Nairobi and satellite cities? What about water for irrigation in Murang’a County and the counties that lie along the river bed of the Tana River? Mr. Temporary Speaker, Sir, it is important that we take into account the needs of the rural dwellers as well as the needs of the urban dwellers because given the fact that the rain patterns are becoming unpredictable because of climate change, agriculture is going to rely more on irrigation rather than rain water. Therefore, when undertaking such projects, we should take into account the need for irrigating agriculture because that is the future. That is how we are going to get to increase agricultural production other than just focusing on the consumption needs of fresh water in the city. This is a fact. It is known that only 3 per cent of water available in the world is fresh. Of that 3 per cent, 2.5 per cent are locked up as frozen water in the North Pole and South Pole thus not accessible to human beings for consumption. We only have 0.5 per cent fresh water availability globally and this is not very dangerous. What is more dangerous is the fact that we are engaged in projects of urbanization, industrialization and infrastructure which reduce access to this 0.5 per cent fresh water available in the world. Let us be very careful."
}