Residents in eastern Congo face frequent power cuts due to plastic waste clogging the Ruzizi hydroelectric dam, which disrupts local businesses. The dam, located on Lake Kivu, is choked by plastic bottles and items dumped into the lake. Efforts are underway to introduce waste management solutions.
Residents in eastern Congo are experiencing regular power cuts due to plastic wastes choking the Ruzizi hydroelectric dam.
The frequent power outage caused by plastic bottles, jerrycans and other plastic items blocking the dam have disrupted businesses, emphasizing the environmental and economic challenges in the region.
Situated in the southern end of Lake Kivu, the Ruzizi dam has become a collection point for thousands of pieces of plastic waste dumped into the lake, which stretches about 90 km along the border between Congo and Rwanda. This has impacted the dam's output.
"Here we have four machines, and together, these four machines produce a total of 29.8 megawatts. These waste materials affect all four machines at once," said Liévin Chizungu, head of production of Société Nationale d'Électricité (SNEL) in eastern DR Congo.
To prevent complete turbine blockage, divers have to remove plastic waste accumulating at a depth of 14 meters at the bottom of the river, in addition to daily surface-level cleaning.
Local officials are, however, looking to introduce a new waste management system to resolve this persistent plastic waste problem.
"Requiring each household in Bukavu to join a waste collection organization will ultimately allow us to assess to what extent, once each household collects its waste, these collection organizations can pick up the waste from households and transport it to disposal sites," Didier Kabi, the provincial minister of environment and green economy, said
The ongoing waste management issue highlights the need for sustainable solutions to tackle environmental challenges in the region, Mulemangabo said, urging residents and government alike to take action.
"If they leave this waste lying in the street, in the gutters, it ends up at the Ruzizi dam, and this creates a lot of difficulties for us,” said Ljovy Mulemangabo, provincial director of SNEL for South Kivu and Maniema.
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U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday his plan to reclassify approximately 50,000 federal workers under a new category, "Schedule Policy/Career," which would make it easier to fire civil servants who do not align with his administration's policy agenda.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday his plan to reclassify approximately 50,000 federal workers under a new category, "Schedule Policy/Career," which would make it easier to fire civil servants who do not align with his administration's policy agenda.
The U.S. Supreme Court issued an order early Saturday blocking the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members from Texas under the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law from 1798.
Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s reluctance to support military action, Israel has not ruled out launching a limited strike on Iran's nuclear facilities in the coming months, according to Israeli and other sources familiar with the matter.
Mount Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, erupted once more early on Saturday, with ash and lava spewing from the southeastern crater. The eruption, which began late Friday night, continued through midday, local sources reported.
At least 17 people were killed when suspected cattle herders launched attacks on communities in central Nigeria's Benue State on Thursday, police confirmed. The assault is part of a worrying resurgence in violent clashes between farmers and herders, which have long plagued the region.
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