The fresh rising water levels from Lake Kyoga have destroyed crop gardens and cut off sections of roads in Nakasongola district.
In 2020, water levels increased submerging shorelines, swamps, and flood plains, displacing thousands of people and flooding infrastructure.
However, years later, the water levels decreased and a section of residents resettled along the shorelines and others grew crops saying they had nowhere to go.
Now as the heavy rains intensify, the water levels have again risen destroying crops of 30 farmers and cutting off sections of the roads. The affected areas are Kikooge, Kabaala, Kacanga, Muwunami, Zengebe landing sites and Lwampanga town council.
The rains have also submerged old Lwampanga Health Center III, and cut off Katuba-Moone road and other community access roads among other infrastructure.
Jamirah Nakiyimba the Vice Chairperson LCIII Chairperson of Lwampanga town council explains that the residents returned to the shorelines because they had nowhere to go.
Nakiyimba explains that the residents had planted which include maize, watermelon, cassava, and beans but these have been destroyed by rising water at the Lake.
Nakiyimba adds that there have been efforts to resettle some people at Kyarubanga forest reserve which President Yoweri Museveni ordered that it is degazetted but the process is slow.
Some of the affected farmers include Justine Ndabirawa, God Ngasirweki, and Paul Kamya of the Lwampanga town council. They lost crop gardens after they were submerged by rising water.
Charles Andama the Nakasongola District Senior Environment Officer says that they expect more people to be affected by the rising water levels because they were warned but ignored the advice to leave the shorelines.
Andama adds that they also erected mark stones to warn residents against settling within 200 meters reserve for the Lake in vain.
Sam Kigula the LCV Chairperson of Nakasongola says that the destruction of crops is an early warning of another danger, especially to those people who re-occupied houses that had been submerged by floods.
Kigula says that people who occupy shorelines are on their own because they were warned against resettling there.
Kigula adds that they are currently looking for culverts to fix some roads that have been blocked by floods to ease the movement of goods and services in the affected areas.
At least 2,000 households were displaced, and schools and health centers were also destroyed by the rising waters at Lake Kyoga in 2020. URN.