Wednesday, June 10, 2009

PUGU AGGREGATE MINERS THROWING CHALLENGES TO THE GOVERNMENT ON ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN PUGU FOREST.

Pugu forest reserve which located in Kisarawe districts and managed under local government authority is in great risk to vanish due to illegal ongoing aggregate mining activities inside the reserve, according to my insight of the area during 13 April 2009; I got opportunity to have a dialogue with aggregate miners, on this issue.

“They claim that environmental degradation increases in this forest due to poor land use planning and poor governance,
also the government for the most part central government were the one who initiate the sand mining excavate in this forest for their own interest, mainly to the road constructor investor, without measure the impact of their action to the forest environment.

They continue to declare that, after the government investor close its activities and left the mining hole, and then we cover up the place and continue to digging sand for sale to diverse customer from different area of Dar as salaam in order to get something to take care for us and our families they say.

They blame the local government for their thought of stop them to continue with mining activities within the forest without compensate them with another place which is beneficial to them, instead the Pugu district government odder the village government to throw the miners to another area which is very far away, with poor road that hinder their client to access their products, that why we are still here and carry on with our activities which we depend on for our daily life.”

My advice to government is to making harmonize agreement with the aggregate miners for the sake of sustainability of Pugu forest reserve, also to the aggregate miners have agreed to stop mining activities in the area because according to the forest Act Of year 2002 they are strongly breaking the law by doing illegal mining activities in the reserve.

nginyi kimaai
nginyikariongi@gmail.com

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