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The residents of Gayaza’s Nabutaka and Makenke neighborhoods have called on National environment Management Authority (NEMA) to regulate a stone-crashing facility located in their residential area.
The noisy facility according to residents was set up at the start of this year and works 24/hours a day, every day leaving them agitated, sleepless and is interfering with their children’s hearing mechanism.
The inconsiderate facility is crushing stone into concrete for road and construction works. Efforts to reach out to the owners of the facility have been futile since security has repeatedly denied access to the quarrying area.
“We ask NEMA and Kasangati Town Council to look into our plight. We barely sleep because of the day and night long noise, but also the dust and heavy crushing is affecting our houses. We cannot just look on as our lives are destroyed” said Steven Rwamatsyoro, one of the residents
The Nabutaka residential area has in the recent years been a favorite of settling occupants who have populated it with houses owing to its serene setting surrounded by virgin forests, rivers, undulated hills and the quiet setting outside the busy Gayaza town. Some of the prominent residents include deputy Chief of Defence Forces, General Wilson Mbadi who has quietly but happily settled in with other residents including civil servants, bankers, lawyers, doctors, professors and businessmen.
Grace Margaret, a resident said the facility worries her and places her children in harm’s way. “I am worried for my children. This facility could induce a disability called Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). The noise once constantly on will affect our children’s hearing health” she said. “Already, we are getting headaches, disturbed sleep and restlessness from the noise” Grace added.
Grace suggests that the facility needs to get a sound tracker since the area in which it operates is curved out for residential use. Sound absorbers once installed will help minimize noise levels.
Area residents affected by the factory’s operations are appealing to the national environment body (NEMA) and other relevant authorities like Kasangati Town Council to come to their rescue since the local area council teams have been unhelpful.
