Wakiso authorities stop Rosebud Flower expansion

Feb 16, 2012

Wakiso district authorities have stopped Rosebud Flower Industry development expansion programs.

By Ayiga Ondoga      
       
Wakiso district authority has stopped Rosebud Flower Industry development expansion programs until the company in partnership with National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) carry out an environment audit.

Wakiso district LC5 chairperson, Matia Lwanga Bwanika said the suspension of their programs is to give way for the district and environment authorities to ascertain the extent of environmental degradation in the area.

“We have seen waste dumping into the Lake and reclaiming of the surrounding swamps for their expansion. We shall bring surveyors to come and measure the acreage of their land,” Bwanika said, adding; “We also want them to first carry out environmental audit because since they started the development project in 2004, they have not done that audit which affects both human beings and the environment. There should be annual auditing.”

Bwanika made the remarks during a fact-finding mission at the Plant located at Namulanda, off Entebbe road, where he led several district officials who included the CAO, David Higenyi and the district Natural Resources Officer, Rebbeca Ssabaganzi.

“NEMA and district surveyors should carry a detailed environment audit to ascertain the impact of their activities on the land and environment,” Bwanika noted.

Bwanika revealed that the public were constantly lodging complaints with the district authorities about their activities especially dumping and pollution of the lake waters which affect the natural filtering system (papyrus) and the reclaiming of the swamps which has resulted in change of the weather.

“We have never experienced such hot weather in Buganda before but because of the exploitation of the environment and encroaching on the wetlands, we are paying the price,” Bwanika asserted.

He complained that workers were not given adequate protective gears such as spraying suits and other gadgets during their cause of work and their wages were inadequate also.

Bwanika wondered, “The district would like to know whether you have been paying the required local service tax and the property rates to the district as required by law.”

“Environment degradation must stop immediately,” Bwanika insisted.

Rosebud administrative manager, Dimple Metha assisted by the farm manager, Ravi Kumar said the company was given 50 hectares by NEMA and that they have so far used 40 hectares.

He denied dumping in the lake saying, “We have good agricultural practices where (waste recycling system) water from the green houses are constantly recycled and does not reach the lake at any point.”

Metha added that workers were all provided with protective gears like gum-boots, chemical spraying suits and masks among others and pay minimum wage of 3250/= per day for the probation workers and their flowers were 100% for export.

Wakiso district CAO, David Higenyi commended the company for employing the local people and the foreign exchange earned from the product to the economy.

Higenyi said the district and NEMA have embarked on the process of demarcating all the wetlands/swamps in the district in abid to protect them from encroachers.

“As a district, we take responsibility of the activities carried out in the area especially the protection of forests and wetlands/swamps,”Higenyi observed.

He warned that waste management should be done carefully because it affects the people, environment and animals, which needs the establishment of mitigation measures.

 

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