By. Alfred Atwau 18
As the dry spell continues to hit, a section of districts in Teso have started experiencing the effects of Climate change evident with some sharing water wells with domestic animals, a challenge of access to clean and safe water.
In Katakwi district a population of about Ten thousand people in Magoro subcounty of Toroma county are water stretched because all water wells that herders could take their animals have dried leaving them to share a few working boreholes.
In this particular subcounty it’s evident that people have to walk long distances to access water from working boreholes and in most cases its water is not clean.
Joseph Oluka, a learned youth of Apuuton village speaking in an appealing voice with a worried face told this channel that they are now subjected to non-communicable diseases because different animals share with them these wells.
The effects of climate change have spanned globally because of unpredictable rains these days compared to those days when a farmer could tell all seasons of the year.
Oluka attributes all this suffering to the subjection of people into bush burning, cutting down trees that have made rain disappear leaving with a dire situation that even displaces families.
“All our wells that we used to take our animals have dried and now we are forced to bring animals to the same boreholes where people fetch water from a problem caused by the community members themselves. If I could say, this is among the most popular sub counties in Katakwi that is well known with bush burning and afforestation and if people could understand the dynamics and stop those two, it can be the long-lasting solution”-said Oluka.
On the other hand, he adds that with a result of few water wells, domestic violence cases are in a hike in Magoro as mothers trek long distances in search for water in aiding domestic use.
Oluka is also passionate about the generation to come, how they will be able to live if people continue deforestation in Teso and Uganda as a whole.
“if right now this is what we are facing, what will the generation ahead be going through in the meantime? I wish people would accept to have genuine hearts to love our surroundings and environmental arms of government take serious laws against those destroying the environment, we would be at peace”-He queried.
According to Uganda’s National Environment Act, every citizen has the right to a healthy environment and the law mandates the sustainable management of the environment through the National Environmental Authority (NEMA) to take action against every individual or entities causing environmental damage.
The talk about the water crisis has not only attacked Katakwi but has injured parts of Serere district fueling domestic violence at a wider range.
In Olumot Village, Odapakol Parish in Pingire county, one among those in Serere district, over two hundred households are stranded as they have to share one borehole with animals.
Solomon Ongole the LC1 chairperson is worried about how this challenge has persisted for a long time adding that a lot of families have broken down because mothers have to stretch for long distances in search for water.
Expected Solution.
Seeking to address the evident challenge of water crisis in Teso, herdsmen in Katakwi are appealing to the government to construct valley dams to help as a few functioning boreholes are addressing both animals and the community.
However, adding his Voice to this, Francis Aruo the LC3 of Magoro subcounty cautions the public to desist from activities that destruct the environment to curb this challenge even as the government is doing its part of ensuring safety of locals.
“it might look simple right now but in time to come we are going to face it badly and I want to implore upon my people to be the key protectors of the environment because it’s through that we are able to live freely”-said Aruo.
As the law mandates people to plant at least five trees before cutting down trees, it can be a lasting solution to the war against climate change nationally and internationally.
