Sharjah24 - AFP: Among rolling hills around the southern tip of majestic Lake Kivu, huge layers of plastic waste ride the water and block the turbines of the largest hydroelectric plant in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Ruzizi dam is polluted by thousands of bottles, cans and other objects thrown into the lake, which stretches 90 kilometres (56 miles) along the border between DR Congo and Rwanda.
"Since the lake flows towards the Ruzizi River, all the waste thrown into it comes here little by little," Lievin Chizungu, production manager at the dam's power station.
The mountainous terrain and rainy climate around lakeside Bukavu, capital of South Kivu province, do not help.
"The rainwater carries the waste into the lake and then into the river," Jovy Mulemangabo, an engineer for the national electricity company (SNEL) in south Kivu.
Chizungu says piles of waste can "reach a depth of 14 metres" (almost 46 feet). Divers clean the river bed to keep debris from clogging the turbines. If waste gets trapped, towns in the area are deprived of power.
Other employees clean the surface, using barges.
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