L.Victoria pollution increases

By Gerald Tenywa

THE stinking algae mass which has been covering the bays at Ggaba, Munyonyo, Nakivubo and Luzira, has spread to the entire lake, which is a source of drinking water for Kampala and Kalangala islands, a Government official said.

“The algae is spreading on the lake. Residents of Kalangala have been advised not to collect water from the lake for drinking,” said Jennifer Namuyangu, the State Minister for Water.

Namuyangu, who returned from a tour on Lake Victoria, warned that untreated drinking water could lead to waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery and diarrhoea.

“Pollution of the lake is becoming a serious problem. I have ordered Kalangala district to install piped water to replace the boreholes and water wells.”

The algae mass, which looks like a green paint on the lake’s surface, is a result of increased pollution from human disposal and industrial waste.

The main reason for the spread of algae on the surface is the presence of increased nutrients, such as phosphates and nitrogen, substances that algae feed on.

The minister’s warning comes in the wake of a report by Chemiphar, a Belgium-based laboratory with a branch in Kampala, which tested the algae and found it to be poisonous.

“From the preliminary results, Cyanobacteria like Anabaena were found in the water samples,” the report said.

“These can be very toxic for plants and animals, including humans, because of the toxin microcystin.

To be clearer, the toxins from Cyanobacteria can be as harmful as the poison of a cobra snake.”

The toxins may cause serious damage to the liver, the report, signed by Belgian chemist Dr. Jan Cordonnier, warned.

“They can accumulate in the fish tissues, liver, intestines and gallbladder, which means that secondary contamination by eating toxic fish from an infected pond or lake is possible.”

Three types of toxins are produced by the algae, according to Cordonnier.

One type can affect the liver and cause slow death, up to 36 hours after drinking contaminated water.
“Animals can get jaundice (yellowness of the eyes) and an increased sensitivity to light.”

Another type can affect the respiratory and nervous system.
“These types of toxins can cause vibration of the muscles, convulsions, dizziness, paralysis, respiratory problems and after 30 minutes death.”

A third type of toxins can lead to irritation of the skin and eyes and cause allergic reactions.

Chemiphar attributes the algae spread to the rapid population growth of Kampala, which did not match with an equivalent growth in waste disposal services.
It also points at the heavy rains of the past weeks.

“The onset of heavy rains in and around Kampala has contributed to big quantities of runoff, yet the drainage systems in many parts of Kampala are not functioning properly.”

Asked for a reaction, Florence Adong, the commissioner in charge of water resource management, said experts will soon investigate the implications of the algae on human beings.

“We have the experts, what we are lacking is equipment that can be used to analyse the samples.”
She said her office had been monitoring the spread of algae in selected bays of Lake Victoria, where unregulated discharge of water had been observed.
“We intervened and ordered the industries involved to apply for waste water discharge permits.”

Other interventions included soil and water conservation, waste management, afforestation and wetland protection, she added.

“The guiding principle is that prevention is better than cure because it is difficult to reverse the negative impacts of algae blooms.”