Anne Mugisa
5 June 2008
Kampala — SPRAYING the DDT pesticide in northern Uganda should stop, the High Court in Kampala has ruled. This followed a petition, filed by nine groups of produce farmers, traders and conservationists.
The health ministry launched indoor residual spraying of DDT in Apac and Oyam districts in February in an effort to kill mosquitoes, which spread malaria.
The ministry was planning to roll out the drive countrywide.
However, court stopped the exercise on May 30 and gave the complainants 14 days within which to file their main petition.
The petitioners are Lango Cooperative Union, Lango Organic Farming Promotion, Dunavant (U) Ltd, Bo Weevil (U) Ltd, Shares (U) Ltd, Outspan Enterprises, Kyagalanyi Coffee, Bakwanye Trading and Pro Biodiversity Conservationists in Uganda.
The firms accuse the ministry of not adhering to the rules set by the National Environment Management Authority and not adequately sensitising residents on the effects of DDT.
They also accused the ministry of not observing precautions on storage of crops, handling of utensils and farm implements.
They contend that the buyers of their produce abroad had threatened to stop buying if traces of DDT were found in them.
DDT spraying, they observed, must be done in strict adherence to the World Health Organisation guidelines.
But health state minister Dr. Emmanuel Otaala insists that sensitisation was done and the people supported the spray.
He added that they were yet to receive the injunction "but we shall follow what it tells us as we wait for the Attorney General to take the next step."
Statistics from the health ministry indicate that 320 people die everyday in Uganda due to malaria complications.
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