The Tanzania government has reaffirmed its commitment to implement a 653.9bn/- Dar es Salaam emergency water master plan that seeks to increase supply in the city from the current 300,000 to 710, 000 cubic metres a day by the year 2014.

Tanzanian Bunge (Parliament) in Dodoma

Moving his ministry’s budget estimates in Parliament, the Minister for Water, Prof Jumanne Maghembe, said that a number of projects (towards realization of that goal) were at various stages of implementation.

The current water demand in Dar es Salaam is estimated at 455,000 cubic metres a day. The projects, according to Prof Maghembe include construction of Kidunda Dam in Morogoro whose feasibility is scheduled for completion next month.

He said that a total of 3.4bn/- had been set aside as compensation for residents who will be shifted from the area to pave the way for the project. He added that work on borehole projects at Kimbiji and Mpera will start as soon as a contract is signed in September this year. The project is expected to supply 260,000 cubic metres a day.

“Ongoing expansion of Ruvu Juu water pumping station and the main pipeline from Mlandizi to Kimara would increase supply capacity from the current 82,000 to 196,000 cubic metres, so as to cope with the growing demand at Mlandizi, Kibaha and in Dar es Salaam,” said the minister.

He added that implementation of the Ruvu Chini project expansion had reached 36  per cent, noting that  the government has set aside 116.4 bn/-  during the 2012/13 financial year  for the project.

The project kicks off in August and is scheduled for completion within 15 months. The minister asked the House to approve his ministry’s 485,898,613,000/- recurrent and development expenditure estimates.

He told the legislators that rapid population growth, especially in urban areas, vandalism of infrastructures  and climate change are among challenges the ministry  was striving to overcome in its bid to ensure that safe and clean water reaches more people.

The vice-chairperson of the  Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Water, Ms Neema Hamid (Special seats-CCM), urged the government to abolish the scrap metal business. He said that the business was to blame for the increasing wave of vandalism of pipelines, railway lines and other infrastructures.

She echoed the views of the ministry’s opposition spokesperson, Mr Sylvester Kasulumbayi (Maswa East – Chadema) who, apart from calling on the government to increase the budget for the water sector, said that the state should take action against vandals.

Mr Kasulumbayi, whose statement was read on his behalf by Ms Sabrina Sungura, (Special seats – Chadema) also expressed his concern over the government’s reliance on foreign aid for implementation of its projects. He said that it was high time funds were sourced internally.

By CHABY BARASA, Tanzania Daily News