We are responsible for pollution

Pollution is something we have all been told about. For me, it was when I was little. Of course, I wasn’t told about the complex side of things, but I was constantly reminded that after I drink in a plastic bottle or eat wrapped food, I should throw the rubbish in the trash can.

I was also encouraged both at school and at home, to reuse, reduce, and recycle. Over time, I have watched videos about the effects of pollution in different cities, and read numerous articles about the issue.

It is quite unfortunate that my attitude was one of “it’s not like I can do anything about it. It’s far from home any way.” Plastics covering the beaches of Mumbai and harming its aquatic wildlife seemed so far away from me.
I got a major attitude change when I witnessed the effects of pollution. They didn’t hit far from home.

Around October last year, I, along with a group of four of my friends, took part in the British Council “Your World Competition.” In this competition, participants are required to make a three-minute video centred around a given theme.

Last year’s theme was: ‘Waters of Our World.” We were tasked to research about a water body or a water source, problems it’s facing, how those problems affect the nearby communities, and come up with possible solutions.

In my group, we tried to avoid the issue of water pollution at first because it seemed a cliché and felt like everybody would be doing it.

But after long debates and a long selection and elimination process, we settled on water pollution. We chose to work with Lake Victoria and the Nakivubo Channel because the channel drains into the lake and all its rubbish ends up there.

As part of our project, we took a tour around the channel and visited Namuwongo, where we asked a few residents about how the pollution of the channel affects them. Our findings were appalling!

The rubbish which comes from the city, is deposited by the channel to their side. This is not only unsightly, but it also produces a foul smell. On rainy days, the channel overflows and the garbage is carried out of the channel.

It floods the area and sometimes even enters their houses. When the flooding reduces, and the garbage remains, they go through a tedious cleaning process.

On top of the excessive pollution, the Daily Monitor released a series that focused on the dangers of pollution to the lake. On top of harming nearby communities, it also damages the lake as well as businesses that profit from it.

The National Water and Sewerage Cooperation have increased the cost of extracting lake water because they have to go deep into the lake to get clean water because the one near the shores is heavily polluted.

Fishing communities are suffering since fish in the lakes are poisoned. I am uncertain as to whether by the time I finish school, there will be safe drinking water, water that is not heavily chlorinated or downright filthy. I wonder whether I’ll still be able to enjoy fish, or go to the beach and enjoy a lovely view of the lake.

It’s a reality that I am not ready to face and one that can be avoided if we take action. We can start by being mindful about where we dispose of our garbage. We should be keen to protect our God-given natural resources.

Galina Kirabo,
Kampala