A wire mesh fixed under the bridge on River
Mpanga in Fort Portal Town to block plastic bottles and other waste materials.
Photo by Felix Basiime.
In Summary
·
Appeal. The officials
have asked residents to ensure water safety in order to reduce costs.
·
The NWSC manager Fort
Portal branch, Mr Denis Muramuzi, urged residents to cooperate and ensure water
safety in the area
THURSDAY
SEPTEMBER 15 2016
By Felix Basiime
Kabarole. The cost of
treating water for public consumption in Fort Portal Municipality has trippled
in the last six years due to the pollution of River Mpanga, officials have
said.
“The chemical
consumption at National water sewerage corporation (NWSC) Fort Portal plant has
increased by 3.1 times, from 0.0120 Kg/unit of water to 0.0375 Kg/unit of water
treated between 2010 to 2016,” Mr John Paul Onencan, the quality control
technician, NWSC Fort Portal area said recently.
Mr Onencan said it is
now costly for the corporation to filter the polluted water from the main
source since a lot of chemical is needed to have the water purified.
The NWSC manager Fort
Portal branch, Mr Denis Muramuzi, urged residents to cooperate and ensure water
safety in the area.
“It may result into
high costs of tap water and also cause water borne diseases to those who
consume it directly,” Mr Muramuzi said.
Recently, Kabarole
District chairperson Richard Rwabuhinga, appealed to the people living along
River Mpanga banks to stop polluting the water source as it also constrains
neighbouring districts of Kyenjojo, Kamwenge, Kiruhura and Ibanda.
Mr Rwabuhinga said
activities like the washing bay, processing plants, waste disposal pits on the
river banks have contributed to the water pollution. He also blamed the
situation on weak laws and poor financing of the management committees by the
ministry of Water and Environment.
However, Mr Rwabuhinga asked residents to cooperate.
However, Mr Rwabuhinga asked residents to cooperate.
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