Prime
Minister blocks giveaway of Masaka forest
Water and Environment minister, Mr Sam Cheptoris (M) at water treatment plant in Masaka recently. Photo BY CHRISTOPHER KISEKKA
Masaka- The Minister for Water and Environment, Mr Sam Cheptoris, has halted the giveaway of Kumbu Forest Reserve located on the outskirts of Masaka Town, saying its destruction will affect a crucial water source that serves the area.
Mr Cheptoris said the reserve, which is adjacent to Masaka water treatment plant, feeds Nabajjuzi swamp, a source where National Water and Sewarage Corporation (NWSC) pumps its water from.
“The plan by the municipal council to destroy that forest to put a golf course will not be allowed when I am the minister. You should joke with other things, but not our environment,” he said while touring the district on Tuesday.
“We want forests and wetlands much as we want development, but the latter shouldn’t be done at the expense of the former,” the minister added.
Last year, Masaka Municipal Council passed a resolution sanctioning the giveaway of the forest reserve and the adjacent Red Banner Estate after their allowances were withheld for several months although some councillors had objected to the deal.
Mr Cheptoris said although many urban centres want to degazette forest reserves to create space for their expansion, forests are more needed in town than in any other area.
“It is a fact that urban centres have greater polluting capacities than rural areas and we only reduce some of the dangerous gas emissions when there are forests around us,” he said.
While visiting the municipal water treatment plant, Mr Joseph Mugyenyi, the NWSC branch manager, told the minister that producing clean and safe water had become expensive for them due to the continued encroachment on Nabajjuzi swamp catchment area.
“Initially, we were spending Shs20m every month to treat water, but due to effluents directly channelled into the swamp, we currently spend Shs40m to be able to produce quality water,” Mr Mugyenyi said.
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