NTUNGAMO DISTRICT COUNCIL TABLES ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION ORDINANCE

By Allan Mugabe
www.mknewslink.com
In Ntungamo
Ntungamo district council has tabled the Environment protection and Management Ordinance 2018 that seeks to set up a mechanism of protecting and restoring the depleted wetland in the District.
The Ordinance that was tabled by Anthony Byaruhanga the secretary for production also seeks to have penalties, duties of citizenry and functions of the ordinance in protecting the natural resources in Ntungamo District.
Byaruhanga who is also councilor for elderly while tabling it for the first time recently said that the Environment protection and Management Ordinance 2018 will address the gaps in the current National Environmental management Authority (NEMA) policy.
This follows the outcry by the civil societies and people of Ntungamo for the encroachment of Rufuuha Wetland in Rwendahi village Rweikiniro and Ngoma sub counties which powers its water in River Kagera.
Speaking to www.mknewslink.com , the Ntungamo district senior Environment officer Tumwebaze Dinnah noted that the Ordinance is to provide for the protection of the environment, sustainable utilization and management of natural resources, regulate public use and enjoyment of wetlands and for the related matters.
Tumwebaze revealed that Ntungamo district was declared to be a forest reserve under the National Forestry and Tree Planting Act 2003, therefore there must protect and implement the law if we need to regulate the dry spell out.
Under the ordinance ,any person shall not be allowed to carry out bush burning in a way to control the fire or for better protection or management of any part of a forest or farmland. A farmer shall use farming practices that maintains soil fertility and increase productivity including crop rotation, mixed farming and to avoid soil erosion.
A person shall not carry out any trade or activity in natural resource products like timber, charcoal, firewood, sand, rocks, and other product without a permit issued by the responsible authority.
The chairperson LCV Dennis Singahakye supported the ordinance saying it was long overdue for Ntungamo to have a law.
Singahakye revealed that in ordinance no one will be allowed to put a construction of any kind in wetland, destroy or dump waste in the wetland.
District speaker Atuhaire Elijah said that it was high time the Ntungamo district considered the plight of protecting the nature.
Atuhaire noted that next week on Thursday the Ordinance will be read by second time thus waiting for last reading and then will be passed.
Deputy Chief administrative officer Leonard Ahimbisibwe said that every should embrace the law saying that where everyone is responsible, everyone wins because God created man to take care of nature.
The Ntungamo woman District MP Beatrice Rwakimaari said the Ordinance will eliminate the so called rich people who have continuously encroached the wetland.
Rwakimaari noted that she has already distributed over 5000 trees to churches in the district in order to restore environment.
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