WHERE IS THE LAW IMPLEMENTATION?

The environmental laws are being violated without any measures. It was on 2nd June 2011 when I was invited by City Environmental Management Officer in Mbeya City to attend cleanliness of the Ilomba ward so as to celebrate the environmental day as a call by the United Nations but the environmental laws were not implemented.
Many people in Ilomba ward responded positively and join their hands to participate in removing the litter which was dumped in the river. Amazingly there were different pipes from the residents/houses which were directed to the river and people dump their wastes and litter to the river upstream without thinking of other people who are enjoying the same resource on the same river downstream and there are no any measures which are taken.
I asked one of the environmental officers if there is any action to be taken to those who don’t follow what the laws state she says YES but I didn’t see any action on it later on I asked where the fine book is for those who commit environmental crimes she says “Vitabu vya serikali vya moto kuvishika’’ meaning that the government receipt books are hot to handle.
On our operation we saw maize which were planted close to the river banks but we asked for the person who planted them without success whereby the same rule applied and I heard one of the participants said “this is not fair where were you from the beginning the farmer had planted until now when the maize are ready for the harvest’’ and I asked if it fair for him or her to plant the trees zero distant from the river banks while s/he knows it is not allowed to practice agricultural activities along the river banks, she agree with me that it is not fair and insisted that we should obey the environmental laws.
Those who have authority such as the environmental officers and wards environmental committees they need to implement the environmental laws so as to make the planet a nice place to live.

WRITTEN BY NEEMA AMON-YET 2011