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Plastic waste chokes Congo dam, triggering widespread power cuts

A tide of plastic waste flowing into a major hydroelectric dam in eastern Congo is causing routine power cuts in several major cities, creating an obstacle that regional authorities are attempting to resolve.

The Ruzizi dam situated at the south end of Lake Kivu, which borders Rwanda, provides the city of Bukavu and others with electrical energy and the power blackouts are harming local organizations.

The issue is connected to the growing use of plastics paired with a lack of waste collection in the region. Heavy rainfall causes lose to flow down from the mountainous terrain to the lake, where it gathers and blocks the machinery.

This waste efficiently obstructs the water. Water has problem getting in the forced channels to offer the pressure and speed needed for the makers, Ljovy Mulemangabo, provincial director of nationwide power business SNEL, told Reuters.

Every day cleaners attempt to extract the plastic bottles, jerry cans and other particles that causes the dam's machinery to shut down for hours. Regardless of their efforts, the plastic collects and triggers outages.

Didier Kabi, the provincial minister of environment and green economy, is among those working to find a solution. He informed Reuters in an interview that requiring households to join a. waste collection organisation might assist stop plastic from. collecting in the lake.

This will allow us to see to what level everyone requires to. gather their own waste at family level, he said.

Surface-level cleaning isn't enough as the waste builds up. to a depth of 14 metres, with scuba divers required to clean the river. bed to avoid turbine obstructions.

Alex Mbilizi, a metalworker in Bukavu, said the absence of. power was triggering issues.

Our managers are pushing us due to the fact that of hold-ups in completing. their orders, and we don't understand what to do, he said.

(source: Reuters)