MUKONO.
Developers in Mukono District owning perimeter walls extending into Lake Victoria have been ordered to voluntarily pull them down.
According to Mr Hassan Kasibante , the Mukono deputy resident district commissioner , the 200 metres which serve as buffer zones along the shoreline, have been destroyed the developers, which threatens the aquatic life of the lake.
“We had given all the encroachers 21 days to pull down the illegal structures and they are now remaining with less than 12 days. If they ignore the directive they will be dragged to court and the structures will be removed at their own cost ,” he said .
He said the district leadership is working closely with the environment watchdog – National Environment Management Authority (Nema) to reclaim the destroyed lake shores in the area.
Mr Anold Wanduru, a fisherman at Mpunge landing site said encroachment on buffer zones has affected fish stocks in the area because most of the bleeding areas near the shores are destroyed.
Mpunge Sub County Speaker, Mr Bob Katawu said in the past three years their attempts to stop encroachment on the buffer zones have failed .
The National Environment Management Act prohibits construction of permanent structures in buffer zones of lakes, rivers or wetlands.
A person using a protected area without Nema approval on conviction ,may pay a fine not exceeding Shs600m or shs1b for corporate bodies, or not more than 12 years in jail according to Section 53 of the environment law .