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VP announces measures to stem environmental degradation
2006-04-02 07:54:57
By Observer Reporter
In the face of monumental environmental degradation, the government has announced several measures aimed at stemming the problem.
The measures were announced by Vice President, Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein, in an address to the nation from Dar es Salaam last night.
Citing human activities such as tree felling, reckless use of plastic bags, uncontrolled cattle grazing, intruding into reserved areas as the root cause of the current state of affairs, the VP said the government was resolving to act firmly before the situation gets out of hand.
Farmers and pastoralists who had invaded and settled in the Ihefu game reserve, in Kilombero District, Morogoro Region have been directed to leave.
The government has also outlawed stock routes for cattle from within the country and outside, and has given until the end of July this year, intruders of the Livingstone, Kipengere, Udzungwa, Uluguru and Kilimanjaro mountains to leave.
Tobacco,and tea farmers as well as other major users of trees as a means of energy have been directed to start their own tree plantations.
’’This order is not sparing the military, educational institutions and industries,’’ the Vice-President said, adding that every institution should make sure it has a seedling in place by January 2007.
The VP further said wananchi should be motivated to foster the tree planting campaign. From now onwards, every district should plant not less 1.5 million trees per year, he said.
The VP also urged industrialists to shift from manufacturing plastic bags to paper bags. ’’The manufacturing, importing, buying and uses of plastic bags of 30 and 65 microns-thickness is officially prohibited.
Small miners who invaded various areas in pursuit of gems and other prestigious stones have been cited as among notorious culprits on environmental degradation and have accordingly been directed to leave by June this year.
The VP announced that in order to harmonize environmental protection, special Presidential Prize on environment was to be introduced, attracting villages, wards, districts and the nation, as a whole.
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