BUJUMBURA January 4th (ABP) – Residents of the Carama neighborhoods (Kinama and Gatunguru urban zones, Mutimbuzi urban commune) call for the maintenance by cleaning the Gasenyi river basin so that this work can regulate the water speed of this river, to prevent it from flooding again this part of the capital, a check on Friday by ABP has revealed.

Built within the framework of the Emergency Project for Resilience of Infrastructure (PURI) which was financed by the World Bank (BM), via ABUTIP, this structure, built in reinforced bars, is used to clip gravel, plant debris or other objects and to break the speed of the water of the Gasenyi river which has flooded the Gahahe-Gasenyi quarters (Mutimbuzi Commune) and Carama of the Kinama zone since 2014.

However, the check by ABP found on Friday that this structure, which would normally be maintained by cleaning, is gradually losing the ability to regulate this river given that a large part of this structure is currently occupied by mud mixed with sand.

Thus, the water from the Gasenyi River which should be retained by this structure overflows the main pipe channel and floods certain avenues in the Carama II neighborhood, the most affected being Taba Avenue.

The inhabitants of that part of the Kinama zone therefore seek the effective involvement of the authorities of the ministry in charge of public works and its partners so that this problem can find a solution.

An expert in civil engineering that the check by ABP contacted on Friday on that issue, said that the maintenance by cleaning of this structure is urgent not only to avoid the overflow of the structure which would lead to spillover, but also and especially to protect the structure, the work of which has been enormously expensive. According to that expert, over time, this lack of maintenance may cause localized instability of the structure.