BUKAVU, Democratic Republic of Congo, Local authorities are working to find a solution to the problem of frequent power outages in multiple major cities in eastern Congo caused by a flood of plastic waste flowing into a large hydroelectric dam.
A view shows water collected at the dam within the Ruzizi I hydroelectric plant in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo March 31, 2022. Picture taken March 31, 2022. REUTERS/Crispin Kyalangalilwa/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
The city of Bukavu and other areas are supplied with electricity by the Ruzizi dam, which is situated at the southern end of Lake Kivu, which borders Rwanda. Local businesses are suffering as a result of the power outages.
One of the people trying to find a solution is Didier Kabi, the provincial minister of environment and green economy. In an interview with Reuters, he suggested that requiring households to sign up for a waste collection organisation could help prevent plastic from building up in the lake.
“This will enable us to see to what extent everyone needs to collect their own waste at household level,” he said.Cleaning at the surface is insufficient because the waste builds up to a depth of 14 meters, and in order to avoid turbine blockages, divers must clean the riverbed.
According to Bukavu metalworker Alex Mbilizi, the absence of electricity was creating issues.
