Stanley Yiga Mugabi a resident says that the water level has risen twice the known levels since it was constructed and there are fears that it's likely to submerge more areas if the rains don’t stop.
Residents and local leaders in Nakasongola town council are in fear following the flooding of the valley dam due to heavy rains.
In 1996 through the Uganda Livestock Service Project, the
Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries constructed a valley
dam at Wabbale village in Nakasongola town council.
The dam is
supposed to provide water for production and domestic use for people
living in Nakasongola, addressing water shortages during
the drought season.
However, since last week, the valley dam has
experienced rising water levels which have submerged gardens. The
valley dam has also
submerged the embankment and threatened to cut off a tarmac road that
connects the Sasira trading centre to the Nakasongola town council.
Currently, the most affected villages are Wabbale and Sungira
in Nakasongola town council.
Hundreds of acres of food crops have been destroyed and the floods
have now submerged compounds of four homesteads.
Stanley Yiga
Mugabi, a resident says that the water level has
risen twice the known levels since it was constructed and there are
fears that it's likely to submerge more areas if the rains don’t stop.
Emmanuel Ssembatya the Vice Chairperson of Wabbale village
said that during construction, the Ministry of Agriculture created a spillway
for the dam but over the years people have encroached on it by planting crops
there.
Ssembatya added that when the area experienced heavy rains,
the rising waters from the valley dam had no access hence destroying the crops.
The affected crops include maize, sweet potatoes and cassava.
Isa Kiwanuka a resident of Sasira village says that apart
from the heavy rains, the dam has never been desilted which partly contributed
to its flooding.
The residents have asked district leadership to desilt the
dam and clear the spillway that has been encroached on by farmers.
// Cue in: “Mpozzi ate…
Cue out;…Nakasongola.’’//
Sam Kigula the LCV Chairman of Nakasongola district said
that the district engineering unit has been directed to clear the dam spillway to
enable the rising waters to flow onto Lugogo and Kafu rivers.
“The Ministry of Agriculture was aware that the valley dam could
flood and create a spillway but, unfortunately, people decided to plant
crops which have been destroyed now. The district engineer will move there soon
and remove the crops to save the area from the adverse effects of the floods”
Kigula said.
Recently the water levels at Lake Kyoga also rose again
cutting off several roads in Nabiswera, Lwabiyata and Lwampanga sub-counties.
Wilson Fredson Kakooza the LCIII Chairman of Nabiswera sub
county says that so far transportation among sub-counties has been affected
after the floods cut off the road.
Kakooza cited Nabiswera-Katuba-Lwabiyata and
Katuba-Kikolobyo-Busone roads which are completely cut off by the rains and
currently residents use alternative routes.
Other roads cut off are Itumba-Katuba, Kansira-Ndaiga, Itumba-Gaba
and Kyamuyingo –Irimba Kamunina-Wampiti, Mulungi Omu-Nabutaka,
Kamunina-Kaleire, Ninga-Kasambya, Kirumuko and Wabisisa road among others
