GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 9939

PURSUANT to Regulation 21 of the Environmental Management and Co-ordination (Impact Assessment and Audit) Regulations, 2003, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has received an Environmental Impact Assessment Study Report for the above-proposed project. The proponent, Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation is proposing to expand the Anyiko Ujwanga Kathieno Irrigation Project. The proposed project will comprise of irrigation area covering 934 ha, 5No. irrigation blocks, 1No. headworks (40m wide, 2.5m high), 1No. sedimentation basin (13m long, 2m wide and 1.5m high), 1No. main canal (14.5km), 1No. secondary canal (7.1km), 6No. tertiary canals (6.6km), 28No. field canals (23km), 13No. field drains (11km), 23.6km of service and access roads. The project straddles 19 villages, 3 Sub-Locations (Kathieno C, Kathieno B and Sihayi) and will be implemented in Sihayi Location, Ugenya Sub-County, Siaya County. The following are the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures: Environmental Impacts Mitigation Measures Land degradation/ soil erosion • Compaction of soil to minimise erosion from wind and water. • Planting of grass and trees and allowing natural vegetation to grow. • Rehabilitation of burrow pits used to obtain construction materials. Water pollution • Train farmers on proper agrochemical use, handling and disposal. • Encourage farmers to use manure instead of fertilizer. • Each farmer should leave 30m buffer to the river as required by NEMA, WRA and they should plant trees in addition to crops for daily consumption. • Water quality monitoring should be carried out on quarterly basis. Air pollution • Vehicles transporting the building materials should be covered. • Vehicles and machineries used should be regularly maintained and serviced to prevent exhaust emissions. • Provision of dust masks to workers. • Dropping heights of materials to be minimized. • Maximize the use of manual labour and hand tools. Environmental Impacts Mitigation Measures • Avoid spillage of loose soil to the road where it will be disturbed and blown away by traffic. • Sensitize drivers to avoid off road driving. Biodiversity loss • Vegetate the area after construction. • The contractor should concentrate only on the area they are constructing the canals the rest of vegetation should not be cleared. • Vegetation can be trimmed instead of removing them completely. Noise pollution • Workers should be given noise protection equipment. • Guarding of machinery to minimize noise. • Working will be restricted to day time only. • Observe and practice the recommended noise regulations. Occupational health and safety • There should be a comprehensive Health and safety policy to safeguard the health of the workers. • There should be compliance with all health and safety standards in place. • All workers should be provided with full protective gear and there should be a proper use of PPEs. • There should be proper hoarding of the site to control the movement of the public into the area. • Establish an assembly area for all workers in case of an accident and maintain a record of all works at the site at each particular time. • Fully equipped first aid kits handled by a qualified supervisor should be provided at the site. • The contractor should have insurance cover for the workers. • Clean sanitary facilities and clean drinking water should be provided at the site. • Lunch breaks will be provided; food is set to be served at the site. • Warning signs should be strategically erected. • Risky areas such as deep pits should be covered or fenced off to avoid accidents. Sedimentation of the river beds • Frequent de-silting the intake and irrigation canals during operation. • Filling up excavated trenches and burrow pits after contraction works. • Have an embankment upstream of the intake weir. Solid waste • Inspection during loading and unloading procedures to avoid waste loss. • A concrete washing area will be set aside for concrete trucks, to avoid the build-up of waste concrete in site areas. • All waste will be sorted and managed as appropriate, either for reuse, recycling or disposal. The full report of the proposed project is available for inspection during working hours at: (a) Principal Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, NHIF Building, 12th Floor, Ragati Road, Upper Hill, P.O. Box 30126–00100, Nairobi. (b) Director-General, NEMA, Popo Road, off Mombasa Road, P.O. Box 67839–00200, Nairobi. 3240 3240 (c) County Director of Environment, Siaya County. A copy of the report can be downloaded at www.nema.go.ke The National Environment Management Authority invites members of the public to submit oral or written comments within thirty (30) days from the date of publication of this notice to the Director-General, NEMA, to assist the Authority in the decision making process regarding this project. Comments can also be emailed to dgnema@nema.go.ke MAMO B. MAMO, Director-General, MR/5161469 National Environment Management.