Bilal leads Ruvu JKT in environment week drive

Vice President (VP) Dr. Mohamed Gharib Bilal led a team of National Service troops in planting over 2000 trees an official launch of the national environmental week at Ruvu JKT Barracks, Kibaha District in Coast Region.

In his remarks the VP urged the general public to put more efforts in tree planting as the only tool to address the rising ecological challenges caused by global socio-economic change, leading to climate change.

“Impacts of climate change have critically affected all walks of life,” he said, citing farm outputs, the livestock industry, water shortages and even disturbed water sources “and the vicious circle goes round to tie us up into absolute poverty.”

In another development, Ruvu JKT 832 Commanding Officer (CO), Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mbuge said that in the spirit of understanding the value of an ecological relationship between man and trees, the camp will plant over 8,000 trees along the Ruvu river plains.

“Currently, the camp has already planted 119, 000 in recent years and in commemoration of the International Environmental Week, 8,000 trees are set to be planted and the same efforts are being pursued in primary and secondary schools in our region under our sponsorship and supervision,” said the CO.

The Eastern Arc Mountains Conservation Endowment Fund (EAMCEF), which donated those 2,000 tree seedlings priced at about three million shillings, said encouraging tree planting in Coast Region is part of the wider effort of preventing Dar es Salaam city dwellers not to face water scarcity in future.

Boniventura Baya, a representative from EAMCEF said the public should be aware that the river Ruvu originates from Uluguru Mountains, in which case it is vital to ensure non-deforestation of that zone. Trees need to be planted near residential areas and public installations near the river bed, he said.

Coast Regional Commissioner Mwantumu Mahiza said that in this special week, tree planting programmes are being run all over the region, where after Kibaha District, the next district is Bagamoyo where she was expecting to launch the district’s drive today.