NEBBI, July 29, 2024 – To curb the mushrooming of illegal buildings/structures in the newly created Nyaravur-Angal Town Council in Nebbi district, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development [MLHUD] in partnership with Nebbi district leadership recently held a sensitisation meeting where residents were advised to desist from raising buildings without approved plans.
The meeting which attracted over 100 residents was meant to create awareness among the developers and land owners on the urban planning processes and guidelines that must be followed when one is erecting a structure in the town council.
According to Dr. Wilson Kayom, a consultant at MLHUD, 95 percent of the permanent structures in Nyaravur-Angal Town Council are illegal since they were built without the approved plans from the local authorities.
He said building without an approved plan from the council is not good as it may lead to encroachment on the public access roads, sanitary lanes, and other pieces of land reserved for water and electricity lines.
“The sensitisation meeting was meant to create awareness among the communities to adopt the development plan of the council such that all the structures are in line with the urban development plan of the council,” said Kayom.
The Town Clerk of Nyaravur-Angal Town Council, Festo Thugitho illegal structures were in place before the town council was created in 2017 although he said amnesty has been extended to the owners of the buildings to secure approved plans before any lawful actions can be taken against the developers.
“We are giving amnesty periods to the developers whose buildings lacked plans to work out on their plans and send them to the council to avoid further actions,” Thugitho said.
However, Dr Mark Onega, a resident of Olyeko North cell in Angal Lower said urban planning is the responsibility council leaders who must discourage development of slums.
“If towns are not planned at an early stage, the town is more likely to develop into slums with poor road network and the end result would be poor service delivery,” said Onega.
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