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~ Sameer Singh
Pfunda T.E.
T
he greatest advantage of being posted at Pfunda is its
close proximity to the beautiful and picturesque Lake
Kivu which is luckily just around 20 minutes’ drive
from Pfunda Tea Estate.
Lake Kivu, which shares its vast surface area of 2,730 square
km between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of
Congo, is the sixth largest lake in Africa. It has a maximum
depth of 485 metres. Idjui Island, the world’s tenth largest
inland island, lies in Lake Kivu too.
Interestingly, the fish population in Lake Kivu is relatively
poor and includes just a few species. The reason behind this
is the high gaseous content in the lake which also restricts
the size of the fish.
With peace and tranquility prevailing in Rwanda after the
infamous genocide of 1994, various small beach towns like
Gisenyi, Kibuye and Cyangugu have emerged as some very
attractive destinations for the ‘locals’ as well as for domestic
and foreign tourists. Hotels catering to the needs of tourists
ranging from those on a shoestring budget to high end niche
tourists have emerged in these areas. Not to forget the small,
cozy shacks and restaurants which have sprung up along the
beautiful beaches of the lake!
My favourite is this particular pub in Gisenyi which
transforms into a very lively joint on the weekends. It plays
some very soulful Congolese Rumba music, enticing many a
‘local’ as well as tourists.
However, the other reason why Lake Kivu remains in the
headlines is because of its rich methane content. It is roughly
around 60 billion cubic metres along with 300 billion cubic
metres of carbon dioxide existing in the lake.
Other than that, there are various other deadly gases which
come from the very famous Nyiragongo volcano, thus
representing both danger and a vast economic potential.
It has great economic potential because of the rich methane
content which, if effectively extracted, could easily generate
700 MW of electricity over a period of 55 years, thereby
Sameer Singh has recently been transferred to Pfunda from India , and is
enjoying exploring the estate and its surrounding areas.
Lake Ki vu – Boon or Bane?
16 July 2016