Rising water levels cause flooding in areas near Lake Albert

Ntoroko , Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Locals in Kanara sub-county, Ntoroko district are living in panic after rising water levels caused flooding in areas surrounding Lake Albert. The flooding has affected more than 50 families on the southern part of the lake whose houses were submerged.

The most affected areas are, Rwangara, Katanga, kacyankumo, Kanyansi and Kanara ward. The residents say that the overflow of water is having a negative economic effect on people who depend on the lake for fishing.

Agnes Kabakama, one of the affected residents says that the heavy floods destroyed part of her house taking away some of the household items.

Wilson Kabagambe, another resident says that the flooding destroyed most of their property. He is worried that since the country is under lockdown, the locals are finding it hard securing something to eat.

Other residents in the flood-affected areas are also scared of an outbreak of cholera after all the pit latrines were washed way. Kenneth Tusiime is worried that as the flooding continues, it might come along with cholera. Kanara Town Council mayor David Okor says they have requested for help from the government.

Gerald Rwemulikya Ibanda, the Ntoroko Member of Parliament says he has written to the Ministry for Relief and Disaster preparedness to consider offering aid to the district. However, the MP is worried that with the government still putting a lot of attention to the coronavirus, attending to such emergencies tends to delay.

The sub-county last year was also raged in floods after heavy rains washed away people’s properties and killed a number of domestic animals.

In 2016, the Ministry of Disaster designed the hazard, risk and vulnerability mapping exercise in the district to produce a district profile that will aid planning and decision making processes to address disaster risks in the district.

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