Africa-Press – Uganda. More than 1,000 households in Rakai District that were affected by Lake Kijanebarola floods are at the risk of contracting diseases from contaminated water.
Floods displaced several families more than two weeks ago.
Dr Moses Sakor, the Rakai district health officer, said many households that use contaminated water at the flooded-shores risk contracting waterborne diseases such as bilharzia, diarrhoea, dysentery, and cholera.
“We have mobilised health teams to embark on the sensitisation drive,” he said.
When Lake Kijanebarola floods struck last year, the sub-counties of Lwamaggwa, Kagamba Ddwaniro, Kyalulangira, Lwanda, Kiziba, and Rakai Town Council lost property, including domestic animals and poultry.
District authorities fear that rotten material is a threat to people’s lives.
The washed-away latrines also contaminated the water, yet several of the displaced families depend on the same water for domestic use.
The acting deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Edward Kamya, told this reporter that the District Disaster Preparedness Committee is compiling data on the losses resulting from the floods.
“We are on the ground to assess the losses and have activated a sanitation drive for the affected residents. Property worth Shs3b was lost,” he said.
Families appeal
A section of the flood victims have appealed for help after losing both their homes, gardens, and income-generating projects.
Mr John Bosco Kaggwa, the chairperson of Kanagisa Village, said more than 120 households, with about 300 people at Kanagisa Trading Centre, got displaced.
Mr Gerard Kobwemi, a resident of Kagaaga Village in Lwamaggwa Sub-county on Saturday revealed that he lost 48 cows as a result of floods.
“This was my only source of income. I doubt if my children will be able to go back to school next month when the new school term starts. I also lost the food in the gardens, my family is stranded,” he said.
Another resident at Kaggaga Village, who owned seven acres of the passion fruit crop, said his six acres of crops were washed away by the floods. “I had a bank loan that I used to invest in the passion fruit project, I am now in trouble,” Mr Lawrence Ssenteza said.
Mr Israel Mbaine, the councilor representing Kagamba Sub-county, estimates that about 2,000 households were affected by the Lake Kijanebarola floods.
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