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Nation divided over charcoal ban
2006-02-13 08:10:06
By Patrick Kisembo
As the impact of the power rationing continues to be felt across the country, the public has expressed concern over a government ban on use of charcoal in urban areas.
The Guardian has established that urban residents have limited alternatives to electricity, the main source of energy.
Following the ban on charcoal, many people have resorted to kerosene, which they say is very expensive.
’We know that conserving the environment is the priority of everybody, but after fuel prices skyrocketed and power rationing biting, the government ban on charcoal was ill-advised,’ said Jeffrey Magani, a resident of Mbagala in Dar es Salaam.
He said the government should be understanding and allow people to use charcoal.
’The people hit hard are the poor because they depend on charcoal for fuel,’ Magani said.
’I think the timing of the ban was bad. At least the action should have come at a time when fuel prices are low and electricity supply normal,’ lamented Mariam Nyoni, a Magomeni resident.
She said that the situation, as it is, has triggered a spike in fuel prices and has become a burden to the majority of urban dwellers.
We do not oppose the ban. But there is no alternative to charcoal. You can count off your fingers the number of people in Dar se Salaam who use kerosene.
Even the rich use charcoal because kerosene is very expensive, so are gas and electricity, Mariam said.
It was established that a sack of charcoal sells for between 15,000/- to 20,000/-.
While the government puts in place measures to conserve the environment, wananchi lament that the measures are impacting negatively on their domestic budgets.
Wananchi say that, while they too were worried about the disappearance of the forests, the ban had deprived them of cheap fuel.
The country finds itself in a dilemma. Allowing people to use charcoal affects the environment; ban on charcoal is hurting the economically vulnerable groups.
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