The gravel quarries that claimed the lives of nearly 20 victims before the Government moved to close them down are back in operation, clandestinely threatening to cause further deaths.
The rock and sand mining pits, located within the Ilkurot plains of Olkokola Ward in the Arumeru District were closed in June last year, after they were declared ‘extremely dangerous zone’ by authorities, having killed more than 16 people due to regular cave-ins.
The Mukulat Division Officer, Mr Isaack Kaserian said he wrote to the former District Commissioner for Arumeru, Mr Nyirembe Munasa Sabi complaining of the life-threatening quarries as almost every week one or two people lost their lives.
There are over 100 active pits in these dangerous mines. These are surrounded by three villages, which include Lengijave, Ilkurot and Olkejulenderit. For years they have served as a convenient source of sand, gravel and rocks, which are used for construction projects in Arusha City. However, this is at the cost of human lives.
The former DC, Munasa-Sabi ordered the closure of the mines but as soon as he was transferred to Mbeya, the residents returned to the mines and resumed the excavation processes once more.
A visit to the remote mining area revealed at least 45 tipper trucks carrying sand, rocks and gravel from the pits and the number of such vehicle may reach 50 in a single day. Workers range between 200 and 300. They work in deep, claustrophobic mines lit by open-flamed traditional lamps.
Most of the mining activities take place during the night and once the sun rises, the diggers - mostly men - leave the quarries, and women as well as children take over the tasks of carrying whatever has been dug inside the mines, from the pits to the surface at the cost of 100/- per sack.
The Arusha-Rural District Council’s Director, Mr Fidelis Lumatu said he has never visited the mines and if these quarries were closed then it is no longer his business; “I think the Regional Mining Office should be responsible for the problem but certainly not my office,” he stated
But when further questioned why he was not reinforcing the directive of ensuring the quarries remained out of the bounds, Mr Lumatu said there was nothing wrong because the mines provided employment to locals.
As to what will happen, in his opinion, should the mines cave in again onto the diggers as it was the case before, the Director’s answer was even more baffling; “We don’t anticipate that, but if people die; Well, we shall burry them as usual!”
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