Lake Bunyonyi’s Pollution Caused by Poor Waste Disposal, Ministry Reports
The Ministry of Water and Environment has attributed the recent pollution of Lake Bunyonyi evidenced by its brownish color, foul odor, and an oily film with a white cream floating on the water to poor waste management and environmental degradation.
In a statement released yesterday, the Ministry dismissed rumors of volcanic activity at the lake, attributing the environmental crisis to extensive human activities instead. A rapid assessment revealed the lake’s water has critically low oxygen levels and high turbidity, both of which pose a serious threat to the ecosystem.
Investigations by the Ministry also revealed that although 46 hotels operate on the shores of the lake, there could be possibilities of some of them discharging wastewater and sewage into the lake. Similarly, the absence of adequate sanitation facilities at Harutindo Landing Centre market, which operates twice a week, could be leading to waste disposal into the lake.
The statement added that the Ministry and its stakeholders will continue conducting detailed field investigations, with results expected by the end of this month. Lake Bunyonyi, which has 29 islands, is situated in the Districts of Kabale and Rubanda in the Ruhezamyenda Catchment. It has an average depth of 39m and a reported maximum depth of 900m.
