{UAH} Solving storm water in Kampala - NWSC national tragedy

 

Whenever it rains on Buziga hill – water will be coming down the hill 30 minutes after the rain stops. If you stood at Bombo Road just in front of Bat Valley primary school during a storm – you will not believe the amount of water coming from Nakasero hill but why? This water ends up at Clock Tower.

 

Does Makerere University have a storm drainage system? NO! they don't that water too ends up in Nakivubo channels – Clock Tower! Does Namirembe, Old Kampala and Mengo Hill have storm water drainage – No that water ends up in Nakivubo Channel – Clock Tower!

 

The National Water and Sewerage Corporation and let me repeat it is NWSC that has the mandate to plan, modell and design storm water drainage channels, sewer lines as well as water channels in regard to the Water Act.  They will be working with the Uganda National Road Authority. Unfortunately either NWSC or UNRA design their facilities – they procure services from private companies!.

 

That is a national tragedy!

 

You do not just design, as the Chinese did with Nakavibo Channel which is actually a river stream. The Indians engineers, designed the open road storm water drainage without any slight consideration to road safety and water Acts! I wonder if they studied the land elevation in Kampala.

 

Nakivubo channel has strong water springs from Makerere University, Nakasero Hill and Old Kampala etc. Kampala City Council in contravention of the law allowed buildings along Nakivubo channel releasing sewer direct into the stream.

 

Allan will solve that problem if he was given a contour map of Kampala as any geography student will do. I have read on KCCA website and they appear to be implementing Kampala Master plan which will also have to relocate city dwellers. Lukyamuzi John said it was illegal to relocate people under high voltage power lines and the railway line!

 

We have heard that NWSC has made so much money so where is the money?

 

WE have a water act as a supporting law and this water act must be implemented by the Ministry of Water and environment, NEMA and not least by NWSC. NWSC Corporation collapsed a very long time ago and what they termed as a highly effective corporation is actually leaping and totally inefficient! NWSC has not designed and implemented any project despite having one of the highest numbers of engineers employed by them!  Two Chinese men have built a water pipe from Kampala to Buloba can you imagine and where are the NWSC engineers?!

 

Drainage

 

China can't solve drainage issues in Kampala, Kabale or Mbarara since there are no contour maps and do not control building plans. These locations have similar topography.

Where they exist they are always old and outdated. Secondary government agencies like Ministry of Lands and the Land Commission then under Mayanja Nkanji was allocating land recklessly even in wetlands. These wetlands are natural sustainable drainage systems; they filter and absorb water from hills.

 

Solving storm water in Kampala

 

Every building in Kampala will not release water in streets as it is now. KCCA has paved most them hence increasing volume of water in small drainage channels. Widening the channels is not the solution but rather collecting this water from source and keeping it at source.

This will call for a study of number of buildings on all hills in Kampala City and then design and modell storm water handling capacity. There is also need to redesign storm water channels. And ultimately there is need to remove buildings and people from Lugogo wetland, Bugolobi, Kyambogo, Lubigi, Nsoba , Nalukologo etc.   

 

Bwanika.

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Bwanika Nakyesawa Luwero

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