Rains weaken Kabale soils
May 18, 2010
THE eight months of torrential rainfall has weakened Kabale soils, resulting into mudslides and floods.
By Goodluck Musinguzi, Ali Wasswa and Darious Magara
THE eight months of torrential rainfall has weakened Kabale soils, resulting into mudslides and floods.
Lives and property are at risk and the population is threatened by hunger after food gardens in the mountainous over-populated area were washed away.
Most devastating was the Saturday mudslides, which killed three people.
A district report said the heavy downpour lasted for nine hours.
“These rains were abnormal, forming huge water masses that moved down carrying stones, soil and boulders. Everything along the valley was destroyed,†it said.
Apart from the rain, poor land management, excessive and continuous cultivation, and eucalyptus tree plantations were also blamed.
James Katsimbazi, a scientist, warned that the neighbouring districts of Kisoro, Rukungiri, Kanungu and northern Rwanda were also in danger.
He said Ruhita residents reported the earth shook before an explosion which triggered off the mudslides.
Edward Magezi, 60, said: “I last witnessed such rains in the 1960s when a cyclone devastated Kabanyonyi in Maziba sub-county. On Saturday, I saw water gushing from the hills of Bukinda, forming floods that swept everything, including houses.â€
Another victim of the weekend mudslides, Reagan Kwarijuka, formerly a student of Kabale University, was buried on Monday in Bukinda village.
Meanwhile, district authorities have warned residents against using the Kabale-Rukungiri, Muko-Ikamiro-Bufundi-Butanda and Muhanga -Rwamucucu – Kisizi roads.
THE eight months of torrential rainfall has weakened Kabale soils, resulting into mudslides and floods.
Lives and property are at risk and the population is threatened by hunger after food gardens in the mountainous over-populated area were washed away.
Most devastating was the Saturday mudslides, which killed three people.
A district report said the heavy downpour lasted for nine hours.
“These rains were abnormal, forming huge water masses that moved down carrying stones, soil and boulders. Everything along the valley was destroyed,†it said.
Apart from the rain, poor land management, excessive and continuous cultivation, and eucalyptus tree plantations were also blamed.
James Katsimbazi, a scientist, warned that the neighbouring districts of Kisoro, Rukungiri, Kanungu and northern Rwanda were also in danger.
He said Ruhita residents reported the earth shook before an explosion which triggered off the mudslides.
Edward Magezi, 60, said: “I last witnessed such rains in the 1960s when a cyclone devastated Kabanyonyi in Maziba sub-county. On Saturday, I saw water gushing from the hills of Bukinda, forming floods that swept everything, including houses.â€
Another victim of the weekend mudslides, Reagan Kwarijuka, formerly a student of Kabale University, was buried on Monday in Bukinda village.
Meanwhile, district authorities have warned residents against using the Kabale-Rukungiri, Muko-Ikamiro-Bufundi-Butanda and Muhanga -Rwamucucu – Kisizi roads.