By Ayiga Ondoga

The Government has allocated about sh47b ($20.3m) for the improvement of water quality in the Lake Victoria catchment areas.

Lino Musana, the National Project Coordinator, said about sh13.8b (about $6 million) has been allocated to the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) for the construction and rehabilitation of the waste water treatment facilities at Ggaba and Kirinya in Jinja.

During inspection of the inner Murchison Bay and other water catchment areas of Lake Victoria over the weekend, Musana said waste water treatment facilities would be constructed in Kampala and Jinja.

“Another component was set aside for the proper use of land and restoration of wetlands. The last component was for the joint monitoring work by all the five East African countries to harmonise the laws, policies, collective data base and share information on good use of the lake,” Musana added.

Several permanent secretaries, commissioners and other technical officials from the water and environment ministry were part of the team that inspected the lake.  Another inspection, led by the Minister for Environment, Jessica Eriyo, was conducted by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) on June 8.

Musana noted that sh25.3b was allocated for the restoration of wetlands and proper use of the surrounding areas, while sh7.5b was earmarked for the joint collaboration project.

Florence Adongo, the water quality management commissioner in the Ministry of Water and Environment, said Lake Victoria had come under threat from pollution from major urban centres of Kampala, Mukono, Mpigi and Wakiso.  “The Murchison Bay is the main water source for Kampala and it also the recipient of waste water and urban run-offs from the city centre,” Adongo noted.

The water cruise, organised by the Water and Environment ministry, was to enable stakeholders to appreciate the gravity of the pollution in the Murchison Bay, which calls for immediate action.  She said the major objective for the water quality management was to protect public health, ecosystem integrity and support sustainable economic development.

Adongo outlined the major pollution hot-spots of Uganda’s catchment areas as urban centres (72%), industries (13%), fishing villages (15%). Kampala alone accounts for 65% of the total biological oxygen demand in urban centres.

The four-year project (2010-2013), Lake Victoria Environmental Management, Phase II (LAVEP II), is funded by a loan from the World Bank and Global Environmental Fund.