Minister wants special environmental courts
Sep 23, 2009
THE water and environment ministry has drafted a Bill seeking the establishment of special courts to handle environment cases. The minister, Maria Mutagamba, said: “It is not easy to force people out of protected areas but we want to ensure that those i
By Chris Ahimbisibwe
THE water and environment ministry has drafted a Bill seeking the establishment of special courts to handle environment cases. The minister, Maria Mutagamba, said: “It is not easy to force people out of protected areas but we want to ensure that those involved are apprehended, charged and imprisoned.â€
She said the current courts take long to hear the environmental cases, adding that judges are over loaded. The minister was on Friday officiating at the launch of an irrigation scheme for the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID) at Nyaruzinga in Bushenyi district.
The sh1.8b scheme was launched at Kyamugambira swamp in Bumbeire sub-county, where water will be generated.
Mutagamba said the rate at which people are degrading the environment was like a bush fire, and must be checked. She also disclosed that the ministry was carrying out a feasibility study on how irrigation schemes can be implemented in rural areas.
Mutagamba appealed to farmers to collect rain water using every method available so that they can irrigate during droughts. The PIBID project manager, Rev. Dr. Isabirye Muranga, said water resources should be exploited to increase agricultural production.
He noted that the country loses a lot during the drought yet there are many untapped resources. “If we could integrate irrigation into the cropping system, we would wipe out the low pick seasons and maintain production throughout the year,†he advised.
Muranga added that Uganda produces a lot of matooke but is not recognised in the world market because of poor farming methods.
THE water and environment ministry has drafted a Bill seeking the establishment of special courts to handle environment cases. The minister, Maria Mutagamba, said: “It is not easy to force people out of protected areas but we want to ensure that those involved are apprehended, charged and imprisoned.â€
She said the current courts take long to hear the environmental cases, adding that judges are over loaded. The minister was on Friday officiating at the launch of an irrigation scheme for the Presidential Initiative on Banana Industrial Development (PIBID) at Nyaruzinga in Bushenyi district.
The sh1.8b scheme was launched at Kyamugambira swamp in Bumbeire sub-county, where water will be generated.
Mutagamba said the rate at which people are degrading the environment was like a bush fire, and must be checked. She also disclosed that the ministry was carrying out a feasibility study on how irrigation schemes can be implemented in rural areas.
Mutagamba appealed to farmers to collect rain water using every method available so that they can irrigate during droughts. The PIBID project manager, Rev. Dr. Isabirye Muranga, said water resources should be exploited to increase agricultural production.
He noted that the country loses a lot during the drought yet there are many untapped resources. “If we could integrate irrigation into the cropping system, we would wipe out the low pick seasons and maintain production throughout the year,†he advised.
Muranga added that Uganda produces a lot of matooke but is not recognised in the world market because of poor farming methods.