To address this shortage, the populations of this region are resorting to the water of Lake Kivu, at the risk of several consequences. In light of this, civil society is calling on the provincial government to get involved urgently in order to remedy the situation quickly, given that households, children, students, and even hospitals are all enduring a torment in search of this rare and precious commodity. There are also cars and vans that are dedicated to the search for water.

For its part, the REGIDESO, in a statement, indicated that it had experienced a breakdown in its main pipeline that supplies the city, noting that the network is threatened by anarchic construction over the piping.

"Given this situation, the New Civic Society Dynamic is calling upon the provincial governor to personally get involved in this water crisis by taking the urgent measures needed, including the uncompromising demolition of all the houses built on top of the REGIDESO installations," declared Jean Chrisostome Kijana, one of the members of this entity, adding that the water scarcity is becoming permanent in the city of Bukavu.

It should be noted that due to this water shortage in the city of Bukavu in just one week, several drowning cases have been reported at Lake Kivu among women and children who go there to fetch water.

Gisèle Mbuyi