Community bridge under threat as River Sironko waters rise
The development poses a threat to the only temporary bridge in Tajar village, Bukedea, which borders Sironko and Bukedea. In a video shared on Monday morning by community facilitator Opioto Astaliko, the water can be seen overtaking the temporary bridge.
A woman carrying a baby crosses the River Sironko via a temporary bridge in Tajar village. (Photo by Mpalanyi Ssentongo)
By Prossy Nandudu
Journalists @New Vision
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Business between the districts of Bukedea and Sironko is at risk following the heavy rains on the morning of August 11, 2025, which have caused flooding in River Sironko.
The development poses a threat to the only temporary bridge in Tajar village, Bukedea, which borders Sironko and Bukedea.
A young woman crosses River Sironko via a temporary bridge in Tajar village. (Photo by Mpalanyi Ssentongo)
In a video shared on Monday morning by community facilitator Opioto Astaliko, the water can be seen overtaking the temporary bridge.
River Sironko is a tributary of River Awoja, but it is suffering from environmental degradation due to various agricultural activities. This degradation has led to frequent flooding during heavy rains in the region.
According to Stephen Onyu, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner of Bukedea, the banks of River Sironko are being used for growing rice, as well as vegetables such as tomatoes and cabbage, along with other food crops. This extensive cultivation is further degrading the river’s banks.
A boda boda cyclist, carrying two passengers crosses River Sironko via a temporary bridge in Tajar village. (Photo by Mpalanyi Ssentongo)
"In the process, there is significant soil erosion, reduced pasture for livestock, and the fish that thrive in the swamps are disappearing," Onyu told journalists who visited the bridge and other environmental restoration projects in the district last week at the district headquarters in Bukedea.