Stop destroying environment now

The bursting of the banks of River Mayanja and its tributaries as well as other streams that occurred across the country in recent weeks is a warning to all Ugandans. Mother Nature has spoken and the message is loud and clear. Let those who have ears listen and those with eyes see. Indeed, for decades, many Ugandans mindful of the rate of environmental destruction, have raised their voices to whoever cares to listen.

We have so many authorities responsible for environmental protection, but most, if not all, have apparently become dens of short sighted persons. Many of them have looked on, abated or assisted individuals and companies that have done a lot in destroying our wet lands, water bodies and forests. Some of them have shamelessly allotted themselves these wetlands and forests and cleared them!

God created our environment in such a way that it is self-regulating. We were only supposed to harness it to produce for our existence and ensure a harmonious co-existence. We have, however, decided to destroy it completely without thinking of the consequences. We have striped our country of nearly all natural forests and wet lands.
We have littered all over the place including in water bodies. We have constructed factories spewing their waste in these places like we have no brains at all!

Indeed time has come for the responsible offices to wake up before it is completely too late. For now, we are losing small numbers of our people and a few structures here and there. Time is now when massive and violent forces of nature will destroy and wipe out houses in hundreds, factories, roads, cities and the rest on a wide scale. When you read the lists of persons that have, over the years, been accused of encroaching on wet lands; and those that have destroyed forests, they include well educated persons and even trained forest officers and other professions! One wonders what kind of people Ugandans are. It reminds me of a kind of people some muzungu described as “the educated fools”.

The way forward is for us to come up with a strategic plan to mitigate the likely consequences of our actions. It should include ruthlessly removing or mowing down all buildings, including factories, farms and others that have been set up in all wetlands and forests across the country. We must stop blocking rivers and swamps while constructing reads. We must always construct this infrastructure well above these wetlands, rivers and streams without blocking their natural path. We must embark on afforestation and allow the swamps to regenerate.

We must have zero tolerance to littering (but not the kind we have on corruption though). No compensation whatsoever should be entertained for the so called affluent (the educated fools) who are culprits in this crime. We either save us now or be ready to face the wrath of mother nature, and her wrath is not coming tomorrow, it is on us today and now.
[email protected]