Written by Evans Wafula 2012-09-20 08:46:00 Read 505 Times

Bulambuli, Uganda: As rainfall increasingly continues to rain in Bugisu Sub Region and the gaps to the recently discovered cracks running along the slopes of the Mt. Elgon continues to widen up the Ugandan Government is now planning to quickly evacuate those living in the risky areas into temporary camps to be set in neighboring safer lower lands nearing the slopes of Mt Elgon to avoid any losses of life.

The state minister for disaster and preparedness Musa Ichweru while on his visit to Bulambuli District on Wednesday said that the metro-geological department has warned of a prolonged rainfall season in the Country which is likely to affect the Eastern Region part of Uganda which calls for immediate action.

Ichweru revealed that the Government is shifting from fighting deserters to deserter prevention adding that he is to put up some temporal camps in the flat areas within the slopes of Mt Elgon for emergency evacuation of those at high risks of facing both mudslides and landslides in a move to prevent any loss of life in case of another deserter occurrence.

Mean while the Bulambuli LC – 5 Chairman Simon Peter Wananzofu has warned the residents living in the areas of Bulusia Sub County and Namisuni Sub County against continuing to plant in high risky areas saying that some of them even exercise agriculture in very risky area where life can’t be saved in case of any deserter.

Wananzofu added that the recently discovered cracks along the Mt Elgon are widening day by day and some are now as deep as 7 meters down yet there people who still live in the area adding that it is a high time the Government quickly evacuated them from those areas.

Ichwereu however urged both the political and traditional leaders in the area with the Security department in the country to join hands with the government in the straggle to safe guard the lives of those living in high risk areas of Mt Elgon saying that it is a high time people shifted from the old thinking of looking to Government as the only way out.

The secretary General for Uganda Red Cross society Michael Richard Nataka however blamed the persisting disasters in the Region on the residents in the area saying that the Red Cross statistics show that most of the deserters occurring in the area are as a result of human errors which calls for serious change of attitude in their ways of life.

In the same fate the State minister for Disaster and preparedness Musa Ichweru in conjunction with the Uganda Red Cross society yesterday launched a National tree planting project where more than 50,000 tree seedlings were planted in Bulambuli District.

Ichweru said that the project is to spread throughout the country adding that he hopes it will help in improvement of the fight against environmental change and deserter occurrence in the Country.

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