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A Farmers Livelihood Turns Locals Ill |
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by Rosa Domingos | 08-01-2019 23:08
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What gets flushed down in Bolivia's capital city is used to irrigate the green, leafy fields that supply its produce markets. Richard Mamani (a farmer of a town called Valência of Lá Paz) has been using water from untreated sewage to irrigate his vegetables. It has been part of a family tradition. Like his parents before him, it is also a source of livelihood. He has had safe drinking water for some years, but he mentioned that it has become too expensive to use it on his fields. "We don't use fertilisers and look," he said, proudly pointing to corn and other vegetables. Yet, he knows the risks of utilising the water, which sometimes billows up clouds of foamy pollutants in the farm fields. "I know it's dangerous, even for our health, but we have to tend to our fields or else we'll starve," Mamani said. Bolivia is one South America's poorest countries and the world's highest capital lacks a waste water treatment plant. Not okay :( The untreated fetid waters from households and factories flow into the Choqueyapu, Cotahuma and Orkohauira rivers that run from La Paz to the city's southern agricultural hub. A 2013 environmental report by Bolivia's comptroller general described them as in a "very bad quality range". The Environment and Water Ministry says it hopes to change this with the construction of the city's first water treatment plant. But for now, most of the produce that arrives in the early mornings at the markets in La Paz is often contaminated. An audit by the comptroller general said that out of a sample, "12.5% of agricultural products were acceptable; 25% were mildly acceptable; and 62.5% were rejectable." Some carry parasites, including E.coli. Symptoms of E. coli infection include diarrhoea, severe stomach cramps and vomiting. There are no specific studies available at this point to the impact on the health of the population, but the National Institute for Health Laboratories says 70% of acute diarrheic illnesses are linked to eating contaminated food, including vegetables. The contamination is also a crisis in rivers in other Bolivian cities such as Cochabamba and Santa Cruz, where 65% of Bolivia's 11 million people live. Mining often pollutes waterways in smaller cities. And so far, no initiative has been established in this small town to counteract this problem. Source: News24 - https://m.news24.com/Green/News/water-from-sewage-rivers-used-to-grow-vegetables-in-bolivia-20181212 13/12/2018
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6 Comments
Greetings Rosa
I hope you are doing well
Thank you so much for this report
Keep writing
Green cheers
Regards
Sus
Posted 15-03-2020 16:47
Thank you for such a beautiful report Rosa.
This reports explain how water quality has impacted the agriculture. Pure drinking water has still been a major problem in still many parts of the world. So, water for the purpose of agriculture and irrigation still seems to be a great problem indeed.
With the increase in water pollution, it has much hampered the water resources being used for agriculture which has resulted in various agriculture losses and health impact. Safe irrigation water should also be a major focus in agriculture.
Keep writing great report Partner :) :)
Posted 10-01-2019 01:33
Hey Israel!
Indeed it is in a tough spot. Moreover, I am batheled as to why government has not delivered their citizens with clean drinking water.
You are welcome Israel, it was too my first time reading up on Bolivia.
Thank you for commenting!
Posted 09-01-2019 16:05
Hi Rosa,
Bolivia is in a serious situation if that is the case. One of the basic needs for survival is clean water. But where there is none, the citizens would be left to making use of untreated water.
Thanks for revealing a country like Bolivia to me...I just read of such country for the first time.
Posted 09-01-2019 06:08
Hey Deepak!
You're right, many people lose their lives due to polluted water sources and food. Only because people are not made aware. And even worse, people are kept from knowing the truth.
All these problems need to be tackled if government wants to see a general change in the health of citizens.
Thank you commenting Deepak!
Posted 09-01-2019 04:57
Hello Rosa
I hope you are fit, fine and healthy
I wish for your healthy body and peace mind
it is very sad that, some people are dying because of polluted water and people are searching water in moon, water sanitation and maltreatment must be done where water is polluted, people must know about disease related to polluted water, government programs, awareness and health facilities must be establish in such areas,
Thank You for you report
Keep writing more
Posted 08-01-2019 23:29