Entebbe reclaims waste sand mines

Mar 30, 2008

THE ugly looking abandoned sand mines at Kigungu in Entebbe Municipality are in the process of being restored in order to preserve the environment. At Missoli village in Kigungu Parish, a tree planting project was recently started on 20 acres.

By Gladys Kalibbala

THE ugly looking abandoned sand mines at Kigungu in Entebbe Municipality are in the process of being restored in order to preserve the environment. At Missoli village in Kigungu Parish, a tree planting project was recently started on 20 acres.

EWA Integrated Community Environmental Conservation Project, an initiative of Entebbe Women Association (EWA) has planted over 5,000 trees around the municipality.

The executive director, Margaret Tuhumwire, said the project is funded by World Bank, UNDP, UNEP, among other organisations, with the intention of addressing major environmental concerns in parts of Wakiso.

Tuhumwire said the project, which started in August 2006, will be concentrated at two landing sites - Kigungu and Kitubulu-Kitinda. Other places will be Nakiwogo, Kigungu, Kiwafu, Bugonga Boys and St Joseph Katabi primary schools.

She said the project will look at activities like tree planting, proper solid waste management, reclaiming of abandoned sand mines and reducing child labour.

Tuhumwire explained that the abandoned sand mines at Kigungu and stone quarries at Buzzi and Nalugala in Wakiso district, will be transformed for other economically productive activities like agriculture.

EWA has prepared two nursery beds estimated to harvest over 150,000 trees. The nurseries have various tree species including Terminalia Superba (Umbrella tree), Delonix Regia, Milicia Exelsa (Muvule), Pine, Podocarpus Unamb, Grevillea Robusta and Casuarina Equesetidda.

Tuhumwire says tree planting has attracted community involvement. The people have asked EWA to provide them with trees to plant in their homes.

However, the project still faces challenges from the youth who used to mine sand in these areas. “The youth sneak to where we have already levelled the ground and dig up sand,” Tuhumwire complained.

She advised the youth to develop a good working relationship with the people involved in the project, so that they too can benefit when the environment is restored.

The deputy town clerk Entebbe Municipality, Amon Muzoora, made it clear to the youth that sand mining is illegal.

He said the people who have been mining sand should be integrated into the tree planting project. They can also be helped to join the fishing industry, since many of them have been doing it part time, Muzoora suggested.

The leader of the mining group, Samuel Kasule, complained that they were not given an alternative to mining. He lamented about the high prices of materials used in mining, like spades.

The chairperson for Missoli village, Hadija Nabbanja, praised the work done by the project. “Reports indicate that drug smokers and thieves used to hide in these gaping holes, posing a security threat to the community.” She said the Police has been called to arrest drug smokers.

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