Farming lowers River Ataari water levels
Sep 15, 2010
The water levels of River Ataari have gone down due to human settlement and cultivation along its banks. The water that was previously clear has changed to brown.
By daniel edyegu
and rashid muzungyo
The water levels of River Ataari have gone down due to human settlement and cultivation along its banks. The water that was previously clear has changed to brown.
Moses Wamboza, 28, a resident of Kapneibei village in Kapchesombe sub-county, Kapchorwa district, said the river started changing colour in 1995.
“When people settled along the banks, the water become dirty. We stopped fetching drinking water from the river. We do not get water from unprotected streams in the area,†Wamboza said.
River Ataari that originates from Mt. Elgon, flows through the sub-counties of Kaptanya, Binyiny and Benet in Kapchorwa and pours its waters into Lake Kyoga. It forms a natural boundary between Kapchorwa and the newly-created Kween district.
Ataari River gravitational flow scheme, which supplies Kapchorwa town with piped water, was constructed upstream in Kaptanya sub-county. Kopkop Abigail, 51, of Benet sub-county in Kween district, explained that the brown colour of the water worsens during the rainy season.
In an effort to conserve the river, Kapchorwa district, together with the communities, resolved that 30 metres are spared on either side for tree planting.
The United Nations Development Programme has beefed up the Ataari river conservation campaign in Kapchorwa district. Under the sh740m ongoing project, over 73,000 tree seedlings of eucalyptus and grevilla are to be planted along the river banks and beehives distributed to the communities.the river.
and rashid muzungyo
The water levels of River Ataari have gone down due to human settlement and cultivation along its banks. The water that was previously clear has changed to brown.
Moses Wamboza, 28, a resident of Kapneibei village in Kapchesombe sub-county, Kapchorwa district, said the river started changing colour in 1995.
“When people settled along the banks, the water become dirty. We stopped fetching drinking water from the river. We do not get water from unprotected streams in the area,†Wamboza said.
River Ataari that originates from Mt. Elgon, flows through the sub-counties of Kaptanya, Binyiny and Benet in Kapchorwa and pours its waters into Lake Kyoga. It forms a natural boundary between Kapchorwa and the newly-created Kween district.
Ataari River gravitational flow scheme, which supplies Kapchorwa town with piped water, was constructed upstream in Kaptanya sub-county. Kopkop Abigail, 51, of Benet sub-county in Kween district, explained that the brown colour of the water worsens during the rainy season.
In an effort to conserve the river, Kapchorwa district, together with the communities, resolved that 30 metres are spared on either side for tree planting.
The United Nations Development Programme has beefed up the Ataari river conservation campaign in Kapchorwa district. Under the sh740m ongoing project, over 73,000 tree seedlings of eucalyptus and grevilla are to be planted along the river banks and beehives distributed to the communities.the river.