After a protracted battle unlicensed Chinese companies and top city tycoons profiting from the business, the government has halted sand mining activities being undertaken in Lwera in Kalungu District located along the Kampala- Masaka highway with immediate effort.
Water and Environment Minister Sam Cheptoris says the ban is in response to the complaints and concerns on illegal sand mining in the wetland.
The Minister announced the ban in Parliament, Tuesday evening while reacting to a report tabled by the Natural Resources committee, which investigated the illegal sand mining activities in the wetland belt around Lake Victoria.
The committee report indicates that companies were illegally mining sand in the wetland, which stretches between Mpigi and Kalungu districts in violation of their permits, leading to gross degradation of the environment around Lake Victoria.
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Mining which leads to the removal of channel substrate, resuspension of streambed sediment, clearance of vegetation, and stockpiling on the streambed, will have ecological impacts.
Despite these advantages, sand mining activities have caused severe effects on the environment in Lwera wetland including water pollution, destruction of the vegetation as well as the excavated pits and trenches ruining the beauty of the landscape.
There are claims Lukaya sand dealers exports the sand to Dubai for making glass.
