The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | More than 300 charcoal dealers have been evicted from Palaro sub –county in Gulu district.
The one-week operation was headed by the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces –UPDF of the fourth division barracks, with assistance from the police and the local leaders.
Last month, the dealers were first given a two weeks ultimatum by the Gulu district security committee to vacate the area.
David Ngole, the chairman of Palaro sub –county in Gulu district revealed that the over 300 evicted charcoal dealers from the districts of Buyende, Mayuge, Iganga and Kabale.
According to Ngole, security personnel also impounded 5 power saw machines and over 3,000 bags of charcoal which will be auctioned by the district.
Maj. Ceaser Olweny, the spokesperson of the UPDF fourth division says that the eviction exercise aimed at flashing out the illegal charcoal dealers whose acts have devastated the environment.
Simon Peter Oola, the Gulu LCV vice chairperson of Gulu district says that they are engaging with the leaders of Atiak and Pabo sub counties in Amuru district to ensure that some of the charcoal dealers are given safe passage out of the region.
In a bid to reduce over-dependence on charcoal as a source of energy for cooking by most of the local community, environmentalists are promoting the uptake of clean and renewable energy sources like biogas, bio-mass, briquettes, among others.
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