NYAGATARE — Lake Cyabayaga, a prime man-made lake in Nyagatare District, is under threat by continuous human encroachment.

The shores of that inland lake are becoming degraded with the growing numbers of dotting parched landscape posing risks of erosion.

Residents of Cyabayaga trading centre located near the lake say that just 3 years ago, swampy hedge-plant covered the lake’s shores.

But today, the shores have been left bare as the hedge-plants around have been destroyed, and all sorts of human threats are moving directly towards the water table.

"Stopping human encroachment to this lake is a real problem because we have no other source of water for domestic use,” said, Dumas Nizeyesu, one of the area residents.

Washing clothes and different cattle activities are among the major threats. Residents  say the lake’s water continues to become polluted posing a health risk to people who consume the water.

Cyabayaga trading centre which is home to more rice farmers, is built on an uphill where deposits erode into the lake from homesteads.

The future for the families living around the lake surely remains uncertain, because most of them fetch water for home from the lake. 

"One advantage is that at least we have got permanent water reservoir that can help in irrigation of vegetables grown around,” said, Claude Nzirorera, one of the farmers.

Certainly where there is a decent water supply the land can be highly productive. Near the lake shores some cabbage and other green vegetable plantations can be spotted.

Austin Semwaga, a self-proclaimed environmentalist who has spent more than two years studying possibilities to save the lake, is worried about the human intrusion.

He claimed that he has expressed the concern about the need to protect the lake, but the local leaders end at assuring him.

Efforts to get a comment from local authorities have been fruitless. Semwaga however, stressed that most residents are not aware of the likely outcomes from this problem.

Today, that lake is a great synthetic beauty as well as a great national resource; unless action is taken quickly, all of its features could disappear.

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