WESTERN PROVINCE

NYABIHU— The Governor of Western Province, Penelope Kantarama, has cautioned residents against farming on Gishwati hill as a means of preventing environmental degradation.

Addressing residents of Bigogwe, Nyabihu district recently, Kantarama warned that those who flout the directive risk being charged in courts of law. The meeting was meant to find a lasting solution to the environmental situation in Gishwati which is threatened by human activities.

"There are people who have deliberately refused to stop tilling on Gishwati hills; which is causing more environmental degradation. I’m here to warn you that whoever will be found farming on the hills will be arrested and charged," she said.

The Governor explained that authority had adopted the stringent measures because environmental degradation had caused a lot of disasters in the area. The Gov. said the September 12 2007 floods that left 17 dead and hundreds displaced were partly blamed on environmental degradation.

She said recent research carried out by agricultural technicians also indicated that Gishwati hills is made up of a big rock covered by a small layer of fertile soils. But continuous human activities on the hills would erode the small layer and leave behind bear rocks.

"We must find a lasting solution to this problem; otherwise we shall continue bearing the brunt of tragedies like what happened in September last year, in which we lost over 17 people due to torrential water from the hills," she said, adding that Gishwati hills are too steep and the continuous agricultural activities in the area, would lead to soil erosion and environmental degradation.

The Mayor of Nyabihu, Charles Ngirabatware, said that his district was doing all it could to reallocate residents who previously owned land in Gishwati and other surrounding areas.

"We stopped residents from farming on the hills since September last year and this has led to food shortages." He called on agricultural experts who are carrying out studies to speed up in order to facilitae the allocation of land to residents.

In the meantime, he called upon the central government to assist the district in providing aid to families with food shortages.

Ngirabatware said the district had tried to address problems created by the floods including securing 390 plots where houses will be constructed to accommodate displaced families.

He noted that the district has adopted strong measures to prevent similar tragedies in future. These include: environmental awareness campaigns and planting 880 hectares of grass and 50 hectares of trees on the elevated hills.

Residents who spoke to The New Times promised to observe the directive, but asked the district authorities and the central government to speed up their resettlement in order to solve the problem of food shortages.

"Ever since we were stopped from cultivating on Gishwati hills, we are facing severe food shortages in our households. That is why we appeal to the district authorities to speed up the reallocation exercise for us to get other farming land," one of the affected residents, Theoneste Habinshuti said.

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