• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Science
  • World
  • Lifestyle
  • Tech

NEMA Orders Ruparelia to Desilt Lake Victoria After Weeks of Dumping in Entebbe

December 18, 2021
Deputy speaker pledges support for the film industry

Deputy speaker pledges support for the film industry

June 5, 2023
Investigation; Why hunger, poverty continues to devour Karamoja despite dozens of gov’t programmes

Investigation; Why hunger, poverty continues to devour Karamoja despite dozens of gov’t programmes

June 3, 2023
UBOS trains supervisors for pilot census, fire two staff

UBOS trains supervisors for pilot census, fire two staff

June 2, 2023
Elle Parle

Elle Parle women’s open hosts 3rd edition

June 2, 2023
Police FC qualifies for Uganda Cup final for the first time in their history

Police FC qualifies for Uganda Cup final for the first time in their history

June 2, 2023
child murders

Police arrest five over vandalism

June 2, 2023
Govt should translate PDM documents to local languages -report

Govt should translate PDM documents to local languages -report

June 2, 2023
Why speaker Among is  rooting for payment of village health teams

Why speaker Among is rooting for payment of village health teams

May 30, 2023
Butiki League match day 2 of season 3 attracts a huge crowd

Butiki League match day 2 of season 3 attracts a huge crowd

May 29, 2023
We need to include the male in reproductive health education -Kadaga

We need to include the male in reproductive health education -Kadaga

May 29, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
News 24/7
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Business
    • Politics
    • Science
    • World
    UBOS trains supervisors for pilot census, fire two staff

    UBOS trains supervisors for pilot census, fire two staff

    Elle Parle

    Elle Parle women’s open hosts 3rd edition

    Police FC qualifies for Uganda Cup final for the first time in their history

    Police FC qualifies for Uganda Cup final for the first time in their history

    child murders

    Police arrest five over vandalism

    Govt should translate PDM documents to local languages -report

    Govt should translate PDM documents to local languages -report

    Why speaker Among is  rooting for payment of village health teams

    Why speaker Among is rooting for payment of village health teams

    We need to include the male in reproductive health education -Kadaga

    We need to include the male in reproductive health education -Kadaga

    UTB launches the explore Northern Uganda campaign

    UTB launches the explore Northern Uganda campaign

    Police station attackers have political motives – Enanga

    Police officer shoots self to death

    Museveni rallies Masaka farmers on building businesses for legacy

    Museveni rallies Masaka farmers on building businesses for legacy

    Trending Tags

    • Donald Trump
    • Future of News
    • Climate Change
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
    • Flat Earth
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Sports
    Deputy speaker pledges support for the film industry

    Deputy speaker pledges support for the film industry

    Police FC qualifies for Uganda Cup final for the first time in their history

    Police FC qualifies for Uganda Cup final for the first time in their history

    20 years later, Newcastle United lands champions league glory

    20 years later, Newcastle United lands champions league glory

    Veteran Patrick Ochan vows to inspire Kigezi HomeBoyz FC to defend their Regional trophy

    Veteran Patrick Ochan vows to inspire Kigezi HomeBoyz FC to defend their Regional trophy

    Uganda Cranes to host Algeria in Cameroon

    Uganda Cranes to host Algeria in Cameroon

    What you missed at Butiki League season three day one

    What you missed at Butiki League season three day one

    Hundreds of runners at the 2023 Kabaka Birthday run (1)

    Thousands Throng Lubiri for the 10th Airtel – Kabaka Birthday Run

    10-man Express FC complete a double against BUL FC

    10-man Express FC complete a double against BUL FC

    Kataka fans injure 6 Adjumani FC players in melee

    Kataka fans injure 6 Adjumani FC players in melee

    Rogers Mato voted USPA Sportive/Assist personality for the month of March

    Rogers Mato voted USPA Sportive/Assist personality for the month of March

  • Watch Now
  • Sports
  • Shot Stories
  • Fact Checker
No Result
View All Result
News 24/7
No Result
View All Result
Home News

NEMA Orders Ruparelia to Desilt Lake Victoria After Weeks of Dumping in Entebbe

Dorothy Nalumansi by Dorothy Nalumansi
December 18, 2021
in News
Reading Time: 5 mins read
0
ADVERTISEMENT

URN.NEMA has ordered Speke Hotel/Ruparelia Group to remove all the soil dumped into or on the fringes of the lake before it can resume any works.

ADVERTISEMENT

The National Environment Management Authority -NEMA has ordered Speke Hotel (1996) Limited to remove all the soil it has dumped into Lake Victoria before it can be allowed to resume construction works in Kitubulu, Katabi Town Council.

NEMA made the directive after meeting with officials from Ruparelia Group which owns  Speke Hotel. 

ADVERTISEMENT

According to NEMA, Speke Hotel acquired a permit to build a hotel where Ssese Gateway Beach was previously located with condition of maintaining the buffer zone of 100metres as provided for in the Riverbanks and lake shore use regulations, 2020.The hotel also applied to a permit to build a marina in the same place but NEMA, in a tweet on December 12, says the application was denied. 

Speke Hotel, according to Rajiv Ruparelia, it’s manager,  wants to construct a resort and convention centre on Lake Victoria shores in Kitubulu. 

The project is reportedly estimated to cost 100 million US Dollars (about 355 Billion shillings), to have a resort with 350 rooms,  a convention center and a conference center with capacity to host 3,500 guests.

The project is currently at  the stage of ground leveling and construction.

However, NEMA halted the project on December 10, after a video of trucks dumping soil into the lake went viral on various social media platforms.

NEMA claimed the the developer has been carrying out activities without obtaining a permit for developments in a lake shore. The regulator adds that there were concerns of lake shore degradation from soil siltation into Lake Victoria, contrary to conditions of approval in the Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Certificate No. NEMA/EIA/11651 issued to the developer in 2020.

As a result, NEMA ordered the developer to halt all activities until the issues are resolved and thereafter environment police officers were deployed to ensure implementation of the Notice to Stop directive.

NEMA management has since inspected the site and also met with Ruparelia Group officials  led by  Rajiv Ruparelia  it’s Managing Director over lake degradation at Kitubulu. 

The most recent meeting took place at NEMA head office in Kampala on Wednesday, December 15.

Chaired by NEMA Executive Director, Dr. Barirega Akankwasah, the meeting discussed how to sustainably undertake the project in Kitubulu, Katabi sub-county, Wakiso District, without compromising the integrity of Lake Victoria and the surrounding environment.

Following the meeting, NEMA has ordered Speke Hotel to remove all the soil dumped into or on the fringes of the lake before it can resume construction works.

When our reporter visited the site on Saturday morning, there were trucks ferrying soil out of the site.

This is a reversal of what had been happening since November, according to a responsible citizen Maria Assumpta Nakamya who was alarmed by the soil dumping into the lake in  abuse of the environment and raised an alarm. 

Nakamya, the responsible Ugandan residing in Entebbe municipality recorded a video of trucks dumping soil in the lake and shared pictures which were widely shared on various social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook. NEMA as a result reacted after the public outcry over the alleged degradation.

Nakamya is happy that NEMA has since intervened and hopes Rajiv Ruparelia and his workers comply with the environment regulations.

Nakamya who is a former Councillor at Entebbe Municipal Council, says she raised her concerns as a law abiding and responsible citizen.

She was reacting to Rajiv Ruparelia’s comment saying she had made the video in order to extort money from Speke Hotel. Ruparelia made the comment during a press conference on December 10, where he refuted Nakamya  and NEMA’s claim that his workers were dumping soil in the lake.

Rajiv Ruparelia claimed that Nakamya wants to sabotage the project because  she is “not even a resident of Katabi. 

He claimed that his workers have been dumping soil in his land, not the lake. 

He told our reporter that due to the high water levels of the lake, 7 acres out of 20 acres for the project is currently submerged. 

“But we have not entered an inch into the lake even though the lake has eaten into our acreage,” he said.

Martin Aryagaruka, the Ruparelia Group’s Environment consultant had agreed with Rajiv Ruparelia, saying the hotel was not dumping soil in the lake. He said the only breach they had made was to use the lake shores without a permit. 

In the last two weeks, NEMA management has inspected the site, resulting in the arrest of two foreigners Mukesh Kumar, 29, and Vasava Bhavikkuman Bhikhabhai, 26, and four Ugandans who were found at the site. 

They were arrested after NEMA’s environmental inspectors discovered that the developer was dumping murram into the lake contrary to the ESIA certificate he had been issued to guide the development.

This is not the first time Ruparelia Group is being accused of degrading along  lake Victoria shores.

In 2013, over 200 residents of Namulanda and neighbouring Lutembe Ramsey  Wetland petitioned Parliament over degradation of the wetland. They accused businessman Sudhir Ruparelia, a founder of Ruparelia Group and father to Rajiv Ruparelia, of expanding his Rosebud Flower Farm Ltd by dumping soil on the over 200 acres of Lutembe Ramsey Wetland and in very proximity off the shores of Lake Victoria.

Lake Victoria is relatively very shallo, measuring a mere 80 metres at its deepest point, making quite delicate and susceptible to dumping.

ShareTweetSend
Previous Post

3,300 Buildings Face Demolition in Kampala

Next Post

Nodding Syndrome a Mystery Beyond Uganda’s Capacity to Unravel -Scientist

Dorothy Nalumansi

Dorothy Nalumansi

Next Post

Nodding Syndrome a Mystery Beyond Uganda's Capacity to Unravel -Scientist

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Why more Ugandans in diaspora want policy on migrant workers reviewed

UAE stops Issuance of 30-day Visas to Ugandans

October 24, 2022
Kampala Massage

“I have live sex with 18 clients a day” – Kampala massage therapist

October 2, 2022

Muhoozi Promotion is Actually a demotion – Solomon Serwanjja

October 5, 2022
Immaculate Kibekyenga Corruption unit

Anti Corruption unit saves Girl from Saudi Organ Harvest racket

5
4.8 Billion Collected in Traffic Police Operations

4.8 Billion Collected in Traffic Police Operations

3
Doctor on ebola frontline speaks to us annonymously

“We are denied PPE, threatened and intimidated” – Exclusive Interview with a doctor on the Ebola Frontline

3
Deputy speaker pledges support for the film industry

Deputy speaker pledges support for the film industry

June 5, 2023
Investigation; Why hunger, poverty continues to devour Karamoja despite dozens of gov’t programmes

Investigation; Why hunger, poverty continues to devour Karamoja despite dozens of gov’t programmes

June 3, 2023
UBOS trains supervisors for pilot census, fire two staff

UBOS trains supervisors for pilot census, fire two staff

June 2, 2023
ADVERTISEMENT
News 247

Copyright © 2021 24/7 Broadcasting Ltd. [email protected]

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Virtual Exhibition
    • Politics
    • Business
    • World
    • Science
  • Tech
    • Apps
    • Gear
    • Mobile
    • Startup
  • Entertainment
    • Music
    • Movie
    • Sports
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Health
    • Travel
  • Shot Stories
  • Fact Checker

Copyright © 2021 24/7 Broadcasting Ltd. [email protected]