Enforcement of kaveera ban is long overdue
By Hamu Karamira
Government’s latest decision to ban the manufacture, distribution and use of plastic materials locally known as kavera, is generally welcome and long overdue. Through a Cabinet meeting early this week, the government expressed renewed commitment to phase out kavera once and for all. The State minister for Environment, Beatrice Anywar, sounded uncompromising when addressing the media on the issue of kavera and encroachment on wetlands, warning that this time around, she has the support of His excellency the President in the enforcement of the ban. This is music to the ears of environmental conservationists.
The previous ban on polythene has been opposed on various grounds. One, that it eases packaging for shoppers who claim that they see no suitable alternative. Second, that the manufacturers would lose out, having invested heavily in the making of the polythene products .
Third is the issue of employment, with the argument that the ban would make many people in the manufacture of the kavera to be laid off.
However, every argument must be weighed against the damage by the kavera on the environment, and how far it has become a menace in our daily lives. The fact that the kavera is not biodegradable, means that once disposed of on the soil, it prevents the seepage of water hence leading to degradation of the soil and lower agricultural productivity in the long run. It is also known that many people in urban centres use kavera to wrap their food for cooking, especially matooke. According to scientists, such kavera which has been exposed to heat, will make the consumers of the food to be predisposed to the risk of getting cancer.
There are many other hazards associated with the use of kavera, but in sum, it’s known to release toxic fumes when recycled, and hence pollutes the environment. The cost of recycling the kavera is also very high. Many of Uganda’s lakes and rivers have been clogged by the kavera because of poor disposal. Some animals die when they eat kavera. And so are some of the marine creatures. The list is endless.
Therefore, when you look at advantages of the kavera, they’re heavily outweighed by the menace that has been occasioned by the polythene on our environment. But everyone knows that the ban on kavera in Uganda is not new, and has on several occasions been sabotaged by powerful individuals. One therefore hopes that this time around, the government will be unwavering in it’s implementation of the ban to save our environment.
