Contamination of rivers in the Junin region, Peru

"We have to take care of the mama cocha (mother water), otherwise we won't eat" a humble farmer from my village San Jose de Quero once told me.  A Quechua* speaking man who did not speak Spanish very well and could not even finish high school was very clear about the importance of water for the harvesting of food and the preservation of life, unlike many people who live in the cities of Junin and do not take care of their valuable water sources such as rivers and lakes, as they pollute them by throwing domestic waste on a daily basis. 

One of the major environmental problems facing the Junin region of Peru is the pollution of rivers and lakes caused mainly by the lack of environmental culture of the residents who throw their waste into the rivers. Tons of organic and inorganic waste are dumped every year in the different rivers of my region such as Shullcas, Cunas, and Achamayo. Although residents are one of the main culprits responsible for the contamination of these rivers, poultry and agricultural companies are not exempt from blame, as they also dump their waste in the rivers. Poultry companies dump chicken entrails and feathers into the rivers and agricultural companies wash their products with river water. Take the case of companies that harvest carrots, for example. These companies use river water —mainly from the Cunas River (Chupaca) since there are many corn, potato and carrot crops around this river— to wash their harvested products and later sell them. 

All these environmental crimes have been happening in my region for many years before the indifferent eyes of many regional governors who did not take measures against these environmental attacks that extinguish valuable ecosystems and threaten public health. Fortunately, in recent years, some municipalities in my region have taken measures to address these problems, including sanctions against companies that pollute the rivers and campaigns to collect garbage from the rivers with the help of students and neighbors. Nevertheless, there is still much to be done to solve these problems.