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.
Iran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States eases military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, a se...
World leaders gather in New York for the 81st UN General Assembly, with conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and diplomacy set...
Azerbaijan and the Czech Republic have been strategic partners for more than a decade. In an exclusive int...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities if Moscow stops targeting Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and food exports, as he prepared to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in New York.
Iran's military has threatened to launch sustained attacks on U.S. bases and interests across the Middle East if Washington resumes military action against Tehran.
Iran could reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days if the United States eases military pressure and lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday.
Overnight Russian strikes on the city of Sumy, northeast Ukraine, have killed one woman and injured a man, the country's State Emergency Service has said.
Russian parliamentary elections have delivered a comfortable win to the ruling United Russia party, which is closely aligned to President Vladimir Putin. With more than 95 per cent of ballots counted, United Russia has taken 57.83 per cent of the vote, up from the 49.8 per cent it won in 2021.
World leaders gather in New York for the 81st UN General Assembly, with conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and diplomacy set to dominate the week long high-level debate.
A former Rwandan official has appeared in a London court, becoming the first person in the UK to face charges linked to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to halt strikes on Russian energy facilities if Moscow stops targeting Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and food exports, as he prepared to meet U.S. President Donald Trump in New York.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has called for the abolition of veto powers and permanent membership on the United Nations Security Council, proposing a system in which all members would instead be elected for fixed terms.
Survivors of a Nigerian detention centre where 37 people died say guards sprayed an unidentified substance into an overcrowded cell and kept the doors locked while detainees struggled to breathe and cried for help.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment