The turbines of a major hydroelectric plant in DR Congo have been clogged by heaps of garbage brought by the rains, causing a partial reduction in electricity production, as reported by the grid operator on Wednesday.
Situated in the troubled east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Ruzizi Dam collects thousands of bottles, cans, and other waste carried into Lake Kivu on the border with Rwanda.
Jovy Mulemangabo, the National Electricity Society (SNEL) regional director for South Kivu, informed AFP on Wednesday that with the onset of the rainy season, all the waste and plastic items in the drains are washed into the lake and eventually end up in the Ruzizi hydroelectric power station’s facilities.
In recent days, the power station’s average output, which is 20 megawatts, has been reduced by half, leading SNEL to close down two of the four turbines that supply electricity to the eastern DRC and neighbouring Burundi.
While one turbine has since been restarted, Mulemangabo said that their teams are working around the clock to clear the debris and urged people to refrain from dumping waste in the drains.
Waste collection and management systems are almost non-existent in the DRC, leading many Congolese to dispose of their waste on the streets or in lakes and rivers. Despite the Environment Ministry declaring the waste issue “a major concern” last year, no concrete solutions have been proposed yet.