1.1. Background of the study
Quarrying activities dates back to the beginning of the 20th century, and are conducted not in isolated areas but near water bodies, farmland and human settlement (Kakulu and Chrysanthus,
2003). Quarrying is a form of land use method concerned with the extraction of non-fuel and nonmetal minerals from rock. Sand, gravels and limestone are obtained from the earth through quarrying for building houses and other civil construction.
All over the world there is a realization that quarrying activities has evolved over time to mining industry that has the potential to provide hither to unparalleled services to management in their efforts to reduce effects of quarrying risks to the human being and the surroundings. This potentially has been turned into a challenge and embodied in the new definition of quarrying from the committee of sponsoring organization of the tread way commission on quarrying activities. Keeper man (2000) defined quarrying as an act of exploring and exploiting stone from rocks. Metal ores are extracted by mining which involves removal of rock from the ground. The difference between mining and quarrying is that quarrying extracts nonmetallic rocks and aggregates while mining excavates the site for metallic mineral deposits ( Banez,et al., 2010).
Quarries are generally used for extracting construction materials, such as dimension stone, ornamental stones and road, building and industrial raw materials. A quarry is a type of open-pit surface mining from which rock or minerals are extracted. However, mining and quarrying are destructive enterprises (Sinha, et al., 2000) and involve the complete destruction of the habitat of an area where they take place (Martínez-Ruiz et.al., 2007). The destruction and fragmentation of habitat is the greatest threat to biodiversity and the primary cause of species extinction (Aronson et al.,
1993).
In most Africans nations and others nations, quarrying is not well managed for environmental sustainability (Darwish et al). The methods used are very poor and there is no order in resource exploitation. Most of the quarries do collapse and there is no measures taken to rehabilitation to such quarries since most of them are left open. Therefore, the need for detailed study on the significance of quarrying management on mining industries has become inevitable. Since the effects of quarrying cover all tenants of effective strategic management, ethical corporate governance and ensures quarrying are managed in an integrated and structured manner that boosts institutions in quarrying perform (Nyakeniga, 2009). One of the biggest negative impacts of quarrying on the environment is the damage to biodiversity (Anand, 2006). Quarrying carries the potential of destroying habitats and the species they support (Mabogunje, 2008). Even if the habitats are not directly removed by excavation, they can be indirectly affected and damaged by environmental impacts such as changes to ground water or surface water that causes some habitats to dry out of

others to become flooded. Even noise pollution can have a significant impact on some species and affect their successful reproduction. Nevertheless, with careful P Lanning and management, it is possible to minimize the effect on biodiversity and in fact, quarries can also provide a good opportunity to create new habitats or to restore existing ones (Tanko, 2007).Again, like many other man-made activities, quarrying, involves the production of significant amounts of waste. Some types of quarries do not produce large amounts of permanent waste, such as sand and gravel quarries, whereas others will produce significant amounts of waste material such as clay and silt
(Wang, 2007). The good news is that they are generally inert and non-hazardous, unlike the waste from many other processes. However, there is still potential for damage to the environment particularly with water contamination. Plants are major components of the ecosystem a complex interaction between the biotic and a biotic entity of the environment.
While quarries can cause significant impact to the environment, with the right planning and management, many of the negative effects can be minimized or controlled and in many cases, there is great opportunity to protect and enhance the environment, such as with the translocation of existing habitats or the creation of new ones. Therefore to achieve the equilibrium between natural ecosystems, project planning, formulation and implementation is needed to avoid the impact of stone quarry on the environment and living community.
Ethiopia is the place on earth in which humanoids made the first stone tools, and the sophisticated use of stone in the construction of building dates much earlier 3.5 million years back. The country hosts some of the world’s most impressive stone works from Antiquity and the Middle Ages in the world. Thus, the present fast growing stone industry had deep roots in history and local tradition
(ULGDP, 2011). The nascent cobblestone construction industry in Ethiopia is proving to be a major boost in the country’s efforts to create additional employment opportunities and produce alternative road construction material. It has also raised concerns over the lack of a regulatory framework to govern the management of quarries across the country. Although road construction with cobblestones is limited to intra-city roads, walkways, car parks and inter-community links, the reduced construction costs and involvement of communities has brought to the fore the 11 increasing importance of cobblestone quarries in Ethiopia and concerns over the haphazard manner many of these mines are operated (Command Alkon Mclanahan www.aggbussiness.com,2016 ). The quarries are posing a safety risk because they have been neglected and there is no legislation to govern their opening, mining, rehabilitation and closure. “Like that of sand and coarse aggregate mining areas, cobblestone quarries are neglected and are not rehabilitated,” says Professor Abebe Dinku, the chair at the Construction Materials and Management Department in the School of Civil and Environmental
Engineering at the Addis Ababa University’s Institute of Technology. The cobblestone quarry sites should be environmentally compliant by having them registered and documented by the respective city administration to enable planning for their future development (SAMAC mining and construction machinery, aggregate business international in 2016).
In Zenzelma kebele there is access to stone, and this plays major role for practicing stone quarrying activity starting from the near past following the expansion of Bahir Dar city. Stone quarrying is an important activity paving labor-intensive, creates jobs and opportunities for construction entrepreneurs; means of income for stone owners of the community. Although, stone quarrying have the greatest impact on the environment and the surrounding community of the area , for example

:changing the normal land scape, decreasing availability for livestock feed, aggravate dust emission, noise pollution, and disturbance due to increased traffic, and exert tremendous pressure on limited soil and water resources, thus increasing the rate of erosion processes and subsequent damage of existing arable lands.(KAO,2017). In this study, we will assess the environmental and the social impact of quarry activity at Zenzelma kebele of our study area.
1.2. Statement of the problem
Mining and processing of cobblestone have a considerable impact on land, water, air, and biological resources if the operation and post operation issues are not handled properly. Even though the impact is part of the price we bear for the benefits of mineral consumption, the unregulated destruction of the natural environment is not compatible with sustainable development (Nyakeniga, 2009).
The range of negative environmental and social impacts associated with extractive industries widely spread in the living environment. This is especially true of opencast mining of the sort used in extracting construction materials (Bauer, 1991). The greatest problem is the destruction of the habitat where the quarrying occurs (Walker and del Moral, 2003).
Study conducted on Augusta quarry site in Addis Ababa revealed that quarrying causes various environmental and social impacts. The operation of land clearing led to loss of vegetation cover, soil removal, spring eye spot extinction, scenic quality loss, formation of ugly scenery, susceptible geomorphology for erosion, land stability problem where the rock fall on the slope foot can be seen easily creation of deep well and pond, land degradation and Social challenges related to the increase in quarrying activities in general include: threats to health and safety, displacement of communities and damage of cultural sites (Enatfenta, 2007).
In Dire Dawa, demand for housing materials and physical infrastructure maintenance such as cobblestones and sand are increasing. There are a number of individuals and unions involved in stone quarrying legally and illegally to generate income. However, there are challenges stand in the way, first over the past few years; stone quarrying in Dire Dawa has led to environmental degradation and second, overexploitation of the resources and poor methods of technology in quarrying has left the landscape rugged and leaving a lot to desire.The magnitude of the problems can be explained in terms of social conflict, vulnerability of soil to water and wind erosion, deforestation, and disposal of waste to open places. Hence, the extent of those problems and their effect on society and environment needs attentions of the stake holders. So, this study

tried to investigate the impacts of stone quarrying on the society and environment in Adega
Felema, Ija Aneni and Jelo Belina of Dire Dawa suburbs area.
Quarrying industries have gradually gained prominence over the last years and serve as a major source of revenue for the Wenchi Municipal Assembly (Wenchi Municipal Assembly, 2006).
However, there have been several concerns raised by many people with regards to land degradation, pollution and deforestation resulting from the operations of quarries. Besides the introduction of new companies and the issuing of more permits to operators into the mining sector by the regulators, the rate of land degradation, pollution as well as the neglect of the interest of the communities have been on the increase resulting in dislike for the activities of quarrying industries by the local communities
(Minerals Commission, 2001).
Local communities are affected by dust from the source and deposited dust with particles settling on clean or polished surfaces. The impacts of stone quarrying processes on the people’s healthiness are significant since vibrations have produced crevices in some housing imperiling the lives of the residents. Additional possible impacts of quarrying that are greatly considered by environmentalists comprise biodiversity loss, land degradation and decreased plant growth (Wenchi Municipal
Assembly, 2006). With the majority of the communities in the Municipality depending solely on agriculture specifically crop farming as their main source of livelihood, the loss of biodiversity and land degradation will invariably have an impact on total crop yields. Farmers will therefore have little to sell thereby affecting their ability to raise money to meet their basic needs.
Importantly, Baird (1992) has noted that solid dust particles suspending in the air and are typically unseen by the physical eyes of individuals have implications for good health. As observed by
Montgomery (1992), the particles consist of soot, smoke, ash from fuel (primarily coal) combustion, dust produced in the course of industrial activities of the raw material into sizeable aggregates for the market.
In the face of the foregoing, this study seeks to examine the effects the quarrying activities have on the inhabitants of the Wenchi Municipality of Ghana. The Assessment of the effects encompasses the areas of environment, health, social and economic dimensions. This study therefore attempts to assess the extent to which quarrying activities affect the host communities and the best ways to mitigate the adverse effects while simultaneously enhancing the enabling effects.

1.3 Objectives of the Study
1.3.1 General objective
The general objective of this study will be to investigate environmental and social impact of stone quarrying in Zenzelma kebele.

1.3.2
The specific objectives
The specifi objective of this study will be intended to:
1.
To identify the negative impacts of quarry activities on the environment of Zenzelma
Kebele.
2.
To assess the views and awareness of communities on the impact of stone quarry.
3.
To examine the health impact of stone quarry on site residents.
4.
examine the operational methods used in quarrying activities by quarry companies;
1.4. Research Questions
The research will mainly intend to answer the following questions:
1.
Is there stone quarry in zenzelma kebele?
2.
Have you practice stone quarrying activity?
3.
What methods are employed in quarrying activities in Zenzelma?
4.
Why stone quarrying activity is increasing time to time?
5.
What are the benefits for the community from stone quarrying activity?
6.
Why stone quarrying activity is increasing time to time?
7.
What is the negative impact of stone quarry on the environment in zenzelma ?
8.
What is the awareness of the quarry workers and local people about the effect of quarry on the environment and society?
9.
What are the health problems in the Quarry sites?
10.
What are the socio-economic issues that arise as a result of quarrying in the area?
1.5. Significance of the study
The findings of the study will be important to stakeholders of the community in a number of ways.
The information generated by this research is expected to contribute to the existing body of knowledge about the impact of stone quarrying on the environment and the communities of the suburbs kebele of Dire Dawa Administration. It can be used by the government to justify need for additional budgetary allocation to the town in general and to improve on ways of stone quarrying and, other alternatives in the local areas in particular. The study also brought for how stone quarrying and the immediate impact to the environment can be improved for sustainable development and how may be short changed knowingly or unknowingly to other projects .In addition analysis of the rock mass provides information on mitigation and possible decision of remedial measures. The study will also help to create awareness on how a quarry can impact the environment and the local residences especially when the quarry planted in rural centers. Thus, planners and decision makers can use the result for proper planning and management of abandoned quarry and to return the quarry site to a safe and secure area. And also provide a proper procedure for proper environmentally friendly quarrying practices and it can also be used as a reference for those who need to conduct further study.
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1.6. Scope of the study
The study will be aim to investigate the impacts of stone quarrying on the environment and the societies in Zenzelma kebele. The findings of this study will be useful as a base to solve some of the effects of stone quarrying on the environment and the community health if it will conducted in
Zenzelma kebele. But, because of wide geographical coverage of rural kebeles as well as for its manageability, the investigator delimited the study to the impacts of the stone quarrying on the environment and the co mmunity in three suburb kebeles of Adega Felema, Ija Aneni and Jelo Belina
,Dire Dawa Administration.
1.7. Limitations of the study
This study has some limitations. These include shortage of time, financial constraints, lack of organized secondary data due to the lack of adequate documentation and organized database system in the study area. Moreover, there were absence of officials and some experts from office during data collection and their reluctance to give data freely. In spite of these short comings, attempts were made to make the study as complete as possible. These attempts were arranging appropriate time schedule for every activity and paying tolerance to get the officers for the required data.