NEMA has started investigating claims that Victoria Sugar is harming the land around Luwero District. People living in Ndibulungi village say the sugar maker grows plants where they shouldn't and dumps dirty waste near their homes. This messes up their water and puts them at risk. Dr. Akankwasah Barirega from NEMA told ChimpReports that his team would check the area and see what was happening. He promised they would punish any company that breaks the rules if they find real proof.
The people who live there say Victoria Sugar cleared more than 100 hectares of wet areas, mainly around Lubenge Swamp by Lubenge River. These wet spots once ran across the Nakasongola and Wakiso areas. They help keep water clean and stop floods, but sugar plants cover them today. Isaac Wampamba, who works as a local leader, said this land was all swamp just four years ago. He worries about dirty water making everyone sick, maybe even causing cancer.
Dirip Patel runs Victoria Sugar and claims his business does nothing bad to nature. Experts say that growing sugar plants in wet areas kills many kinds of plants and animals. It also makes dry times worse and lets more dirt into the water. President Museveni has asked factory owners to stay away from these wet places. When these natural filters break down, they can't protect nearby towns from dirty runoff and water sickness.
The people close by also say that Victoria Sugar dumps factory trash right on their roads and open ground. Samuel Kiwanzi, who leads Kyamwinura Local Council 1, told others that trucks full of waste dump stuff where they walk. This same mess flows into streams they drink from every day. He added that workers at Victoria Sugar live without toilets. They go to the bathroom outside, and rain washes it all into lakes and rivers, which might cause big health problems soon.
Reports show that Victoria Sugar may lack proper ways to clean its waste. The company puts trash on a farm they just bought called Kaaya Farm, but nearby families say the mess still spills over into places where everyone goes. Barirega stressed that NEMA will make choices based on real facts. He said they need actual proof before they act against the company, not just what people say about it.
The people who live there say Victoria Sugar cleared more than 100 hectares of wet areas, mainly around Lubenge Swamp by Lubenge River. These wet spots once ran across the Nakasongola and Wakiso areas. They help keep water clean and stop floods, but sugar plants cover them today. Isaac Wampamba, who works as a local leader, said this land was all swamp just four years ago. He worries about dirty water making everyone sick, maybe even causing cancer.
Dirip Patel runs Victoria Sugar and claims his business does nothing bad to nature. Experts say that growing sugar plants in wet areas kills many kinds of plants and animals. It also makes dry times worse and lets more dirt into the water. President Museveni has asked factory owners to stay away from these wet places. When these natural filters break down, they can't protect nearby towns from dirty runoff and water sickness.
The people close by also say that Victoria Sugar dumps factory trash right on their roads and open ground. Samuel Kiwanzi, who leads Kyamwinura Local Council 1, told others that trucks full of waste dump stuff where they walk. This same mess flows into streams they drink from every day. He added that workers at Victoria Sugar live without toilets. They go to the bathroom outside, and rain washes it all into lakes and rivers, which might cause big health problems soon.
Reports show that Victoria Sugar may lack proper ways to clean its waste. The company puts trash on a farm they just bought called Kaaya Farm, but nearby families say the mess still spills over into places where everyone goes. Barirega stressed that NEMA will make choices based on real facts. He said they need actual proof before they act against the company, not just what people say about it.
