Disaster Committee Surveys On Wetlands, Rivers In Kanungu
Kanungu District Disaster management committee has carried out a survey of major wetlands and rivers in the district.
The survey comes after a heavy encroachment on wetlands and river banks which has caused a lot of siltation on many rivers and degradation of wetlands.
Soils have been washed away by running water blocking the easy flow of rivers and major roads in the District.
The team which was led by the Kanungu RDC Mwesigye Ambrose visited the wetlands of Ntungwa, Matanda, River Mitaano and Ntungwa where they registered a lot of degradation and silting due to heavy encroachment by human activities like farming.
The District Chief Administration officer attributed this to poor farming methods by people.
The residents are seen cultivating on high slopes which leads to contamination of rivers by running water-carrying soils.
These have been urged to plant trees like bamboo in low lands which protect river banks thus fighting siltation.
Famers surviving in these areas have instead been tipped on some farming methods which are friendly to their Environment like planting elephant grass which can be used to feed their animals indoors.
Environmental degradation especially in hilly and mountainous areas has resulted in floods and landslides in areas like Rwenzori, Kasese, and Sironko among others areas. Subsequently, lives have been lost.
