March 29, 2024

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Democratic Green Party of Rwanda vows not remain silent over Environmental degradation

By Ange de la Victoire DUSABEMUNGU

Officials from the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda have warned that they will not remain silent or give up unless the existing issues in environmental degradation are resolved.

The warning was made on October 16, 2021, during the release of findings of the study which was conducted by the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda to find out the source of Nyabarongo river pollution which also damages other rivers in the Nile Basin.

Dr Gashumba Damascène, who led the study, said that 47.8% of causes of water pollution comes from household waste, 24.4% are contributed by poor agriculture, 18.8% of industrial waste and poor mining activities contribute 10% of the pollution.

He said that water pollution affects human and animal health, where 80% of people suffer from water-borne diseases, while at the same time causing death of aquatic organisms amounting to 15.6% and this leads to starvation.

Dr Gashumba added that the community should be educated about environment protection as they themselves experience the consequences of the degradation and pollution.

Dr Frank Habineza, the party’s leader, told reporters that a five-month study on the pollution of the Nyabarongo river had found a number of pollutants coming from households level while others come from industries, carwash and garages, Mining and quarrying sites and other amount of pollution of waste water and other types of chemicals that come from Nduba dump site from which everything immediately goes into Nyabarongo river which also exports to the Nile river.

He says there are laws and regulations but the people do not comply with them.

He cited the example of people who cultivate or violate the integrity of river banks, noting that the local authorities should take action to avoid people who dump waste in the rivers or those who conduct human activities across the river banks.

On the Nduba dump site, Dr Habineza said that the city of Kigali should take tangible actions rather than always making the promises that the problem is going to be resolved.

“I know the city of Kigali has said it will resolve the problem, they have always said they will do it, it’s on the way, those promises are out of the way to harm people so that we can’t accept to keep drinking polluted water. ” He said

Dr Habineza noted that they will never stop to request authorities to do what they are supposed to do because among the responsibilities of the Democratic Green Party is to speak for the people.

He added that water pollution will bring disease to children and adults due to the waste that are dumped into the rivers, and people who use water in their daily lives are left to suffer from various diseases including cancer.

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