You’re to blame for floods, Mwanza residents told

Mwanza. Human activities, including construction of houses close to or into Mirongo river banks in Mwanza, are the main causes of floods in Mwanza, says the National Environmental Management Council (NEMC).

The NEMC officer for Mwanza region, Mr Boniface Paul, told this paper in an exclusive interview yesterday that there was no space left where the river could barf its extra volume of water during rainy seasons.

Mr Paul said the river has been squeezed drastically by human activities.

“Some residents have converted the 5.99 km long river into a dumping site of solid waste,” he said.

A few years ago, river Mirongo which drains its water in Lake Victoria, altered its natural watercourse after heavy rains.

“Most houses are built at zero distance from the river banks. This has accelerated soil erosion at the banks. People have cleared grasses which could prevent the soil from erosion,” he said.

“Many varieties of ornamental grass offer erosion protection by producing underground roots which hold the soil together and prevent massive amounts of water runoff, which carries away top soil,” he said.

Commenting the issue, Mwanza City land officer Mr Ayubu Kasuku said all residents with their houses close to river Mirongo have been informed that the areas are preserved for environmental preservation.

“We are marking houses constructed on wetlands and the regional authorities will soon begin demolishing them as part of the country’s campaign to bar buildings on prohibited areas,” said Mr Kasuku

He said houses constructed close to river Mirongo would be demolished in accordance with environmental and land laws which state that any structure has to be put up sixty meters from the water sources, including rivers, lakes and oceans.

Some residents living along the river, including Mr James Chacha, say they inherited their houses from their parents over 20 years ago.

“My house is located in flood-prone area,” he said.