Uganda Clays removed clay and left places
currently covered by water bodies with vegetable. The vegetable I am
concerned with is the Water Hyacinth which has multiplied so much and is
now flowing to other water bodies including to Lake Victoria. It is
not so long since Uganda had a costly problem with the water weed. How
can we leave this problem to become bigger when no body is concerned
about
destroying the water weed. It is said that most of the land having the
water weed was used by Uganda Clays only for the Fisheries to find that
Uganda Clays had trespassed on their land. Now the question, who is
responsible? There is need to see the problem rectified because the
water hyacinth is a lot. Secondly, these water bodies must be properly
managed. Dead bodies can be thrown into them. Last term a student of
New High-Tech Kajjansi School died after drowning into the water
bodies left after the removal of clay.
The water weed on its way which will lead it to Lake Victoria.
Even in the photo the water weed is on its way to Lake Victoria.
The Fisheries is responsible to see the water weed cleared if the land belongs to them.
The water weed in the vegetation.
The water weed in the vegetation along the road to Kiwamirembe.
The water weed can clearly be seen in he picture.
The water weed.
The sign post is found as you branch off the Fisheries road to the new route to Kiwamirembe
The sign post of Uganda Clays who are responsible for some of the water bodies that are manufacturing the water weed.
William Kituuka Kiwanuka.
WATER HYACINTH
What is this Action Sheet about?
It’s about water hyacinth, the world’s worst water-weed that is now
clogging up waterways throughout Africa. There is no simple answer to
the problem of water hyacinth, but it is clear that everybody needs to
work together to find a solution that will benefit the world. This
Action Sheet talks about the water hyacinth problem, and suggests ways
in which you might be able to help.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
Water hyacinth grows fast from seeds and from shoots that break off and
grow into new plants. The number of plants doubles every 5 to 15 days,
so in a single season, 25 plants can multiply up to 2 million! This
means that if water hyacinth gets into a new river or lake, it grows and
grows until it covers the water with a thick floating mat of tangled
weed. This causes terrible problems for people using the waterway:
The plants use up precious water. Water is lost over 3 times faster
than from clear water surface because of evapo-transpiration from the
leaves. The quality of water is also reduced
Rivers are clogged up. When the rains come, floods occur because water
cannot drain from the area
People can’t travel by boat, because the water hyacinth blocks their
way. It takes 30 minutes to travel 100m on a really clogged up section
of Lake Victoria in Uganda
Fish and other river creatures die because of lack of oxygen. People
can no longer go fishing, and may suffer malnutrition as a result
Mosquitoes and other disease-carrying organisms breed in the water
hyacinth, making diseases like malaria, schistomiasis and cholera more
common
Dangerous animals like snakes and crocodile also hide amongst the
weeds
Cows get stuck in the water and drown
Tourists no longer visit the infested area
WHERE DID IT COME FROM?
Water hyacinth originally comes from South America. In the last two
centuries, water hyacinth has spread throughout the tropics. People like
the purple bloom to decorate their gardens, so they bring it with them
when they move around the world.
Water hyacinth is one of the worst examples of the trouble that can be
caused by introducing species from other continents. In their natural
environment plants are kept in check by natural enemies. Often when
taken to new environments these natural enemies are missing and so the
plants can grow wildly. They take over and become a problem to the
indigenous plants of that land.
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO STOP THIS PROBLEM PLANT?
Efforts are underway all over Africa to remove water hyacinth from
waterways, by hand, by machine, using chemical pesticides and biological
control. Biological control involves introducing weevils, the natural
enemy of water hyacinth, from South America. Each method of control has
advantages and disadvantages, but combined they offer hope of a
solution.
Source: http://www.paceproject.net/UserFiles/File/Water/Water%20hyacinth.pdf
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