NEMA Defends Luweero Sugar Factory , Trashes Pollution allegations as baseless

The National environment management authority [NEMA] has refuted allegations that the Victoria sugar factory based in Luweero District pollutes the environment.

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NEMA Spokesperson Ms Naomi Namara on Thursday confirmed that reports of environmental pollution were recorded exonerating Victoria sugar as earlier on indicated in different media platforms.
‘’The pollution has been reported in that area where Victoria sugar is located but it’s not coming from it’’ Ms Namara said’’ the pollution is not from Victoria but other nearby companies’’.
According to Ms Namara, a team of NEMA Inspectors have been dispatched to go on the ground to verify the source of the alleged environment abuse by the others factories for actions to be taken.

What do Victoria sugar managers say?
The head of operations at Victoria sugar Mr. Nasif Ismail linked the environmental abuse accusations to competitors.
‘’ I want to make it categorically clear that these are allegations by self-centered people and mostly by our competitors to tarnish the name of our factory’’Mr. Ismail said.
Mr Ismail stated that in terms of compliance to NEMA regulations, their factory is at its best.
He disclosed that the persons claiming pollution from Victoria sugar factory are ignorant of the new NEMA regulations which require factories to install the pollution monitoring equipment which they put in.
‘’We put the pollution monitoring equipment that is controlled by NEMA therefore everything is c observed from their office’’Mr Ismail said.
Mr Ismail wondered why media reports pointed out residents in the nearby village of Yandwe 1 raised complaints instead of Ndibulungi village where the factory is housed.
The Luweero District Natural resources officer Ms Teopista Gateese  noted that there was no dark smoke observed above Victoria sugar factory premises.’’ As NEMA agents at grassroot, we have not come across this dark smoke being cited’’Ms Gateese said.
She expressed disappointment at leaders who keep on spreading wrong information without confirming from her office as the technical person.
Ms Gateese promised to join NEMA for further investigations once her office is notified.
Ms Gateese advised complainants to always first consult her on such matters before going to the media.
She reminded the public that similar allegations about this company rose sometime back but NEMA discovered that they were not right and cleared the factory.
Mr Godfrey Mukasa, a resident of Ndibulungi village where the factory is located exhibited ignorance about the alleged pollution.
‘’I can tell you that whatever is being alleged about pollution coming from this factory is false, for me I live in its vicinity but I have never experienced any problem with it’’Mr Mukasa said.
These media publications quoted locals crying foul over contaminated water, developing cough and dark spotted clothes all caused by pollution from Victoria sugar factory.