Rusizi District has decided to relocate over 240 families from the banks of the Rubyiro and Cyagara rivers amid fears of flooding.
The two rivers recently overflowed, wreaking havoc in various parts of the district.
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In December 2023, transport was halted, and crops destroyed, after Rubyiro River burst its banks, damaging a bridge connecting three sectors in Rusizi District.
Rubyiro meets River Rusizi, which forms the boundary between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, approximately two kilometres upstream from the point where the River Ruhwa, forming the boundary between Rwanda and Burundi, flows into the Rusizi.
The river flooding also damaged crops on 40 hectares.
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"It is a temporary relocation so that they are sheltered elsewhere. We will help them construct residential houses in safe zones as we gradually get a budget. They should relocate to avoid tragedy that might be caused by the two rivers’ floods. While we can pay rent for some, those who are financially capable should seek shelter elsewhere in safe places,” the Mayor of Rusizi District, Anicet Kibiriga, told The New Times on Thursday, May 2.
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Rusizi River, in January and March 2024, was also thwarted by landslides, triggering floods. The river flows between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The rivers in Rusizi District are among rivers across the country that the Rwanda Water Resources Board, on April 30, said could burst their banks, urging residents to stay away.
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According to a released warning, the rivers that could cause floods include River Sebeya, Karambo, Nyabahanga, Kabirizi, Nyabarongo, Mwogo, Mukungwa, Rubyiro, Cyagara, as well as rivers in the Virunga Corridor.
The gullies in the volcano regions of Burera, Musanze, Nyabihu, and Rubavu could also burst due to heavy rains.
ALSO READ: Rwanda identifies 326 disaster hotspots amid regional flood crisis
Over 240 households in Rusizi District to be relocated are part of 8,800 households which the Ministry in charge of Emergency Management (MINEMA) found in 326 disaster hotspots in all districts of the northern and western provinces, and in the City of Kigali.
It said 4,800 households have been evicted from those risky areas.
River floods damaging properties
On May 1, flooding from different small rivers destroyed the road towards the Rubaya Tea Factory. The road connects Nyabihu District to Ngororero District.
In addition to affecting the tea factory’s operations, the damaged road also disrupted milk supply to collection centres in Nyabihu District, Simon Ndayisenga, the Executive Secretary of Kabaya Sector, said.
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On Tuesday, April 30, heavy rain destroyed the Vunga coffee washing station in Shyira Sector, Nyabihu District. The damage to machinery and building resulted in over Rwf30 million loss.
In the Virunga corridor, the Mpenge River also burst its banks in Musanze District on April 29.
In May 2023, the Ministry of Local Government revealed plans to relocate and rehouse more than 650 households that were displaced by the devastating floods caused by River Mukungwa.
Meanwhile, the government is gearing up to implement a $300 million project to avert floods in this corridor where the river is located.
The project will be implemented in eight districts which include Musanze, Nyabihu, Rubavu, Burera, Gakenke, Ngororero, Muhanga, and Rutsiro to minimise floods in these regions.