Horrific pollution of Lake Koka and subsequent deaths of residents

Horrific pollution of Lake Koka and subsequent deaths of residents



In this two-part documentary, Al Jazeera depicts the horrific pollution of Lake Koka and the subsequent deaths of residents of this Oromian region by chemical poisoning in drinking water. Here are some past reports about the deteriorating environmental conditions due to misguided government policies: about a month ago, the Prime Minister of the dictatorial regime in Ethiopia said his government would not stop its carelessness about the environment.

About a year ago, a Jimma Times report first exposed the high “safety” cost of the unregulated flower industry in Oromia. In October 2008 Abaa Biyya warned about the threat of the horticulture industry on honeybees in central Oromia. Be reminded also about the pollution of Akaki River and neighboring farmlands by industrial wastes dumped out from unregulated small-scale factories just outside of Finfinne (this was first reported by the Guardian here).
Regarding the so-called “affordable housing developments” in Finfinne, this is nothing but the copycatting of the failed housing projects in the West. These housing projects are designed to keep the millions of poor Addis residents poorer in neighborhoods congested with crimes, substance abuses, neglected schools, unsafe buildings (for publicity stunt, the buildings are being erected at an alarming speed that undermines safe building codes) … in short, this is the MUSHROOMING OF GHETTOS IN ADDIS ABABA (Along the same lines, in October 2008 BBC reported that “Addis is littered with building sites“.)