BUJUMBURA August 7th (ABP) – The Director General of the Maritime and Port Authority of Burundi, Mr. Jean Baptiste Biherengende, along with the Technical Commission for Securing Lake Navigation, organized on Friday August 4, 2023, a trip of evaluation of the state of play of certain riparian areas of Lake Tanganyika, such as the place commonly called Kumase, and at the mouth of the Mutimbuzi River, with a view to fight against pollution of the waters of the lake and illegal fishing, as well as enforcing environmental standards.
Mr. Biherengende said that this trip was also intended to burn the gillnets which were seized from malefactors and collected by the marine police.
The observation made is that on the shores of Lake Tanganyika at the place called Kumase, there is very dirty stagnant water which flows into Lake Tanganyika, all this threatens the life of aquatic animals, according to him.
In addition, very close to this polluted water, there are people who trade in food, including restaurants, public bars and shops.
According to the director in charge of the maritime authority, the dirt pollutes human health and the environment. That is why he promised that he will contact the Burundi Authority for Urban Planning, Housing and Construction (OBUHA) to dispatch a machine to remove that dirt.
The other observation made at the Mutimbuzi River is that there are people who dig into it to extract sand.
The director has requested that this activity cease in order to protect aquatic animal life and the environment.
He took the opportunity to appeal to the entire Burundian population to take the issue of lake security in hand because, he stressed, the lake is a gift from the Almighty.