Senegal town stands up against pollution from heavy industry

DW (English)

Sebikotane is proving that grassroots action can heal even the most contaminated landscapes. With science, plants and petitions, residents are bringing change.

Transcript

00:01Toxic waste has long weighed heavily on Sebi Kotane, but the people who live here have

00:06not given up hope.

00:09The town near Dakar is on the edge of a growing economic hub.

00:14The water is polluted, the soil contaminated, the air also contains harmful substances.

00:22The sources are three recycling plants, according to a group of young environmentalists, while

00:28they are raising awareness, the town's mayor wants to bring back the forests.

00:35That's our vision, to restore the city and make it green again.

00:42Right now, though, things still look bleak in Sebi Kotane.

00:46The scrap metal processing company, Fabri Metal, has long been accused of releasing poisonous

00:52gases.

00:53In the nearby neighborhood of Sebi Fas, Tahibu Li is convinced the polluted air is making

00:59the children sick.

01:01We have two babies who are not yet a year old, but they are already suffering from recurring

01:08respiratory illnesses.

01:11He and other residents are demanding clean air.

01:15They spread the word with theatre, design posters and gather signatures.

01:22The petition is a way of inviting the public to take part in the fight.

01:29At first it was easy for the accused factories such as Someta to deny responsibility.

01:35The firm that processes crepe metal and industrial waste said there was no evidence that it was

01:40contributing to the pollution.

01:43So the residents brought in expert help.

01:46What looks like bed houses are infect biosensors with pieces of eucalyptus bark that absorb airborne

01:54pollutants over a period of months.

01:57In 2022 scientists installed 200 of them in Sebi Kotane and lab analysis of the data revealed

02:04the source of the pollution.

02:07Throughout the factories we found high concentrations of metals.

02:10This is what we call a hot spot.

02:12It's an area of 300 meters around the factories.

02:16Beyond that, the bark samples also allowed us to identify lower magnitude chronic contamination

02:22that's constant over time and extends over a great distance.

02:27FabriMental responded and now emits fewer pollutants.

02:32At least during the day, but young activists filmed this video which they say shows.

02:39After nightfall, the factory is still releasing clouds of toxic smoke.

02:43FabriMental didn't respond to our request for comment.

02:47And Someta, the other metal factory, after years of back and forth, the recycler says it's

02:53taken action.

02:54It now claims to emit virtually no toxic pollutants.

02:59Why?

03:00Because we've implemented procedures that not only manage the different types and forms

03:05of waste but also the different types of pollutants.

03:08We've installed more than 2,500 filters to effectively filter out all the different chemical

03:14components of iron or even plastic waste from items of this kind.

03:21In another case, the protests managed to get a factory closed down.

03:25The Indian company Gravita used to recycle lead-acid car batteries here without regard for

03:31the environment or health.

03:33But even though the factory is gone, its legacy remains in the soil and water of this residential

03:38area.

03:39Mo Duniane and his family recently moved into a house right next to the former factory.

03:45His grandchildren are suffering from stomach cramps and vomiting.

03:57Based on my initial research, I was told it could be late.

04:01Because the problem is this, they are both constantly suffering from stomach aches and vomiting.

04:06I use a lot of antibiotics for the children because I can't even relieve the pain.

04:16These are for the diarrhea, one for the older child, one for the younger.

04:24Meanwhile at the nearby school, work has begun on decontaminating the soil with the help

04:29of greenery.

04:30Plant biologist Mustafa Sagna is using Hyptis solverlents, a plant that can extract lead

04:36from the soil.

04:38Many of the children here are also suffering gastrointestinal problems.

04:48Once you absorb lead, it will not leave your body, even if you urinate, if you go to the

04:53toilet.

04:54Your leg doesn't leave you.

04:55It's stored in your tissues.

04:57Plants like this one help us to extract all the lead found in the water and at the school.

05:02So these plants can help us solve the problem of soil pollutants.

05:10But that's just the first step.

05:14The plan is to bring back trees.

05:16When the mayor was a child, there was a forest here.

05:19Today, only scarred land remains.

05:22He's bought back six hectares for the city and wants to restore the forest.

05:27And this man is supposed to get it started, Maximilien Puye, the founder of the local tree

05:33nursery.

05:34His plan is to plant some new trees, but also to help nature heal itself.

05:43The priority is to protect the land because the forest remains in the soil.

05:48As soon as we fence it off, it will start to emerge.

05:52There are still trees in the subsoil.

05:55There are seeds that have survived.

05:58They can stay in the soil for a long time.

06:01Maximilien Puye and his helpers are planting sick mofigs, a hardy native species whose leaves

06:08are traditionally used to treat coughs and high blood pressure.

06:13It's one more part of the Sebi Kotani's residents' push to restore the natural healthy balance

06:19with clean soil and fresh air.

06:24There we go.

06:31There are plenty of

06:41factors of the briぜ.

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