Illegal sand mining in Kasese destroying river banks
People load sand on truck on the banks of River Nyamwamba in Kasese District. PHOTO | ALEX ASHABA
Illegal sand mining has continued to thrive on rivers Nyamwamba, Nyamugansana, and Rwembyo, among other natural resources in Kasese District, frustrating the environmentalists’ efforts to protect the water bodies.
The district chairperson, Mr Elphazi Muhindi Bukombi, last week said the illegal encroachers are endangering water bodies, wetlands, among other natural reserves.
“The people who are doing this want to earn a livelihood. We have advised them to look for alternative sources of income such as beekeeping and tree planting,” he said.
Mr Muhindi said if the sand miners keep desilting the river, the banks will be destroyed.
Mr Muhindi said the district, the Ministry of Water and Environment and other partners are planting bamboo trees and encouraging communities to carry out activities more than 200 metres away from the river banks.
In 2015, the district municipal senior environment officer, Ms Evelyn Muhindo Mugume, said they banned illegal sand mining.
“We have tried to curb the illegal sand mining activity, it has continued to thrive as an income-generating activity to the communities because the development industry still needs sand,” Ms Muhindo said.
She said people who participate in the activity do not have major associations that unite them, which makes it difficult to stop the practice.
Dr Emmanuel Brian Guma, the team leader at Albertine Water Management Zone under the Ministry of Water and Environment, said they are partnering with Natural Resources Defence Initiative (NRDI), World Wide Fund for Nature, and Mubuku Integrated Farmers Association to conserve River Nyamwamba.
“All the interventions on River Nyamwamba are aimed at reducing the impacts of floods,” he said.
According to Mr Guma, the study to ascertain the quantity of silt underneath is recommended, adding that the line ministry will carry it out.
The project manager of NRDI, Mr Ben Mwalhuma, said they are supporting communities around the river to restore degraded hills through tree planting, beekeeping, and providing families with energy-saving stoves.
Thousands of people in the district have previously been displaced and properties destroyed after rivers burst their banks. The resultant floods also damaged schools, health facilities and roads.
