Kitgum, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Farmers cultivating along the Pager River buffer zone in Kitgum Municipality have been given an ultimatum to vacate the area by January 17th.
The directive, issued by the Kitgum Municipal Council, aims to enforce the National Environment Act, Cap. 181, which prohibits farming within river buffer zones.
In his letter dated January 10th, Hajj Uthman Sebadduka, the Town Clerk Kitgum Municipal Council revealed that the council has observed that despite repeated warnings, some farmers continue to cultivate crops within the prohibited zone. The council has now set a deadline for the farmers to remove their crops and vacate the area to avoid any further action.
The letter further stated that the Pager River buffer zone is a protected area, and farming activities within this zone pose significant environmental risks, including soil erosion, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. By enforcing the National Environment Act, the Kitgum Municipal Council aims to safeguard the environment and prevent potential disasters.
However, some farmers have expressed concerns over the sudden directive.
Catherine Aloyo, a vegetable farmer, confirmed receiving the notice from Kitgum Municipal Council.
“For long, I have been farming along Pager River, and that has enabled me to provide for my family,” she said.
Aloyo proposed that the Municipal Council should have first carried out sensitization programs for farmers before ordering them out of the River Pager buffer zone.
“It would have been better if they had educated us on the risks of farming in the buffer zone before giving us an ultimatum,” she said.
Aloyo expressed worry about where she will relocate her vegetable farming, as she doesn’t have any alternative land for farming.
“I don’t know where I will go. I have been farming here for years, and I don’t have any other land,” she said.
The Kitgum Municipal Council has urged all affected farmers to cooperate and relocate to alternative farming areas outsides the Pager buffer zone.
He warned that farmers who fail to comply with the directive risk facing penalties and legal action urging all affected farmers to cooperate and relocate to alternative farming areas outside the protected zone.
Sebadukka stated that the move is part of the Municipal Council’s efforts to promote sustainable environmental practices and ensure the well-being of its citizens and pledged to continue monitoring the situation and taking necessary measures to protect the environment and enforce the law.
In December 2024, while addressing the media from her resident in Bardege cell in Kitgum Municipality Beatrice Atim Anywar, the State Minister of Water and Environment announced a comprehensive plan to protect the Pager River wetlands from encroachment.
The initiative is aimed to restore the river’s ecosystem and promote sustainable livelihoods for communities living along Pager River since the river, which flows through Kitgum District, has been facing severe environmental degradation in recent years.
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