BUJUMBURA, January 3rd (ABP) – The theft of sewer covers is a persistent and worrying problem in Bujumbura Mayorship, the country’s economic capital. That act seriously endangers the safety of citizens and threatens public health, as a check by ABP observed during a tour of certain parts of the city.
By leaving sewers in the open, thieves not only create potentially lethal traps, but the nauseating odors emanating from them also encourage the spread of disease.
Eyewitness accounts and field reports reveal that the theft of those metal covers, intended to cover the sewers, is a reality.
During a visit to various districts of Bujumbura Mayorship, gaping sewers were found at 12th and 13th avenues in the Nyakabiga III district, at 1st and 9th avenues in the Bwiza district, opposite the inter-petroleum station commonly known as “Katikati station”, and in front of the Bonauto building in the town center.
Pedestrians met on the site pointed out that those gaping sewers, located in very busy areas, require preventive protection to avoid damage.
According to Dr. Léonidas Nibigira, Commissioner General of the Burundi Office for Urban Planning, Housing and Construction (OBUHA), sounded the alarm about the situation. He pointed out that those lids, made of metal, are being resold by weight by thieves, attracted by the easy money to be made. “Those acts of theft are not only damaging to urban infrastructures, but also endanger the lives of citizens,” he lamented.
According to Dr. Nibigira, pedestrians, especially children, the elderly and people with reduced mobility, risk falling into those openings and breaking their legs.
Testimonies from people living near those sewers confirmed that accidents often occur there, particularly at night, when lighting is reduced. Nelson Ndacayisaba, a trader with a store near an uncovered sewer on 9th Avenue in the Bwiza district, testified that she has seen several people stumble and fall, especially when it’s dark. “Last time, a lady seriously injured her leg. It’s really worrying for all of us here. We live in constant fear that a more serious accident will happen at any moment.”
In addition to the risk of accidents, the open sewers pose health problems. “Some have become dumping grounds, where waste of all kinds accumulates, encouraging the proliferation of bacteria, insects and rodents, vectors of dirty-hand diseases,” said one person who lives very close to the gaping sewers. Those people also report foul smells, which increase the risk of infections and respiratory illnesses.
Faced with that alarming situation, Dr. Léonidas Nibigira pointed out that OBUHA, in collaboration with Bujumbura City Council, has announced the implementation of measures to combat those despicable acts, and an awareness-raising campaign has been conducted among the population to inform them of the dangers associated with those thefts and encourage them to report the perpetrators.
To dissuade potential sewer cover thieves, technical measures are also being considered, such as welding the covers to concrete irons in an attempt to limit theft, and stepping up surveillance patrols.
OBUHA’s Commissioner General, Dr. Léonidas Nibigira, called for strict enforcement of the law against those caught stealing sewer covers. He also appealed to the buyers of those stolen metals, urging them to stop collaborating with those criminals.
The public, for their part, are calling for swift action to cover those gaping holes. ABP/Denis NTIHINDAGIZWA