Museveni inspects works to clear floating island that invaded Nalubaale dam

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President Museveni has inspected the ongoing works to clear  the floating island that invaded and blocked Nalubaale power dam early this week causing a nationwide power blackout.

On Sunday afternoon, the president commended the teams led by the UPDF Engineering Brigade engineer involved in removing the floating island but also stopping another one that is a few kilometres from the dam.

He said removing the floating island was made possible because of the capacity that the country has.

“I am happy we have the equipment to handle this here,” the president said.

The floating island

Museveni’s visit comes at a time when National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI)in Jinja has also sent a vessel to join the UPDF and Eskom marine teams to deal with the floating island.

The Chief of Defence Forces early this week directed the UPDF Engineering Brigade to deploy its engineers to help in clearing the floating island and consequently, Brig. Besigye Bekunda was tasked to supervise the works using excavators and tippers from the Uganda Rapid Deployment Capability Centre (URDCC) and Ministry of Works.

By Saturday afternoon, joints works carried out by the UPDF, Uganda National Roads Authority(UNRA)and Ministry of Works saw good progress in removing the floating island.

The teams are also engaged in harvesting another floating island which moved to a distance of within 2.5 kilometers from the Nalubaale dam as it threatens to move close to the dam.

This website has learnt that the floating island is 16 acres.

The floating island of water hyacinth measuring about two acres on Tuesday blocked turbines at the Nalubaale dam causing a nationwide power blackout a few hours to President Museveni’s address on Covid-19.

According to Eng. Ziliya Tibalwa, the CEO for Electricity Regulatory Authority, the land mass moved with vegetation and other debris that choked the turbines.

“The plantations ran into screens that are supposed to filter the water before it goes into turbines to generate power, and once screens were blocked by rubbish and other plantations, the turbines could not get enough water,” said Ziliya Tibalwa, the CEO for Electricity Regulatory Authority adding that the floating island moved with vegetation and other debris that choked the turbines.

Eskom Uganda Limited that manages the dams in Jinja said the  huge land mass blocked the cooling pipe systems that draw water from the dam reservoir to cool the generating machinery.

 

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