Water Pollution Rife in Lake Victoria

THE National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has found that most factories inspected by its officials did not meet basic standards in terms of waste treatment.

"The quality of the effluents discharged by most industries is very poor," a report obtained by The New Vision says. "Basic data obtained for fish factories, tanneries, mines, food and beverage, soap and detergent, and textile factories in Uganda indicate non-compliance to heavy metals and nutrients that are discharged into water bodies and onto land."

NEMA is monitoring effluents on a regular basis to determine the concentration of pollution in the environment. The 10-page report singled out fish factories as the top polluters of Lake Victoria.

"Most of the fish industries do not have appropriate effluent treatment facilities in place and those that are in existence do not adequately treat the effluents below the permissible limits," the report states.

"Some industries have created by-passes which bypass the effluent treatment plant. Some industries do not possess the required waste water discharge permits while others do not observe the conditions outlined in the permits."