The National Environment Management Authority has closed illegal sand mining and rice-growing companies operating in Bukakata sub-county, Masaka district.
The operation has been mounted to crack down on those degrading the wetlands by carrying out human activities without operational permits from relevant authorities and failing to follow the environmental impact assessment guidelines.
Police aided NEMA in this operation, which has seen Mtaz Uganda Ltd, a rice-growing company owned by Pakistani nationals, stopped from its operations and some of its workers arrested on-site with sand mining equipment.
Masaka District Natural Resources Officer, Rose Nakyegwe, says they have found people and other companies degrading the environment and will prosecute them.
“The operation, which commenced overnight along Kampala-Masaka Road, also led to the impounding of 13 Sinotruk lorries and four excavators, among other equipment,” said the Authority in a statement.
This action follows a previous operation in April, during which NEMA halted illegal sand mining in the area and ordered the miners to restore the degraded sections of the wetland.
NEMA’s ongoing efforts to protect Uganda’s wetlands and fragile ecosystems are part of a broader strategy to curb environmental degradation across the country.
The arrested individuals are under investigation and will face legal charges upon the conclusion of the inquiry.