By Micheal Atwakiire
Sheema
As the rain season in Uganda starts, senior officers from the Ministry of Water and Environment have cautioned Sheema district residents to be ware of landslides in their areas which might occur because of heavy rains.
William Muwema, from the ministry of Water, said that if residents of Sheema continue with their current environmental degradation especially by burning bushes and deforestation in hilly areas, they are likely to face exclusive soil erosion and landslides in some mountainous areas in the district.
Muwema made these remarks while launching ‘Stone Bans’ under wetland restoration and water catchment project on Thursday in Nyakambu and Nyabwiina hills, in Masheruka Town council, Sheema district.
During the exercise, Ministry officials together with residents collected stones and heaped them around the hills such that they can reduce the overrunning of water whenever it rains.
Julius Tumusiime, the councillor Masheruka Town council, said that “Last season, more than 7 houses were destroyed, including Nyabwiina Health Centre II , St Clate S.S Nyabwiina and other property.
He added that “What happened to us , opened our eyes to see properly, because our health centre and school lost a lot of property. So this year we have decided to cure the disease early enough because this time it may go with peoples’ lives.”
Fred Kamugisha, from Bugarama Kanyeganyegye, said that the same landslides which affected Nyakambu and Nyabwiina had at one time affected them too, but that after using Stone ban water catchment, they’re nolonger being affected.
Mesarch Ntundubiire, the Gombolola Internal Security Officer (GISO) Masheruka Town council also, asked Sheema district leaders to immediately chase investors who have started mining stones from hills of Nyabwiina, saying that they will bring another problem of soil erosion which may result into landslides.
