Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE government has devised implementable measures to end water woes and ensure the problem is becoming a thing of the past in the country.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa disclosed this yesterday, while addressing Kemondo residents immediately, after inspecting water project at Kemondo-Maruku in Kagera Region.
He said the objective was to see into it that all Tanzanians have access to clean, safe and reliable water services.
In the course, Mr Majaliwa called upon the residents and other nationals to be patient, as the government executes the plans and ensures timely completion of various ongoing water projects.
“The measures are anticipated to get rid of problems relating to access to clean, safe and reliable water services across the rural and urban areas in the country.
“This includes implementing the campaign which aims at relieving women from water woes with a slogan of ‘Kumtua Mama Ndoo Kichwani’ and draw services closer to the people, particularly women and youth so that they also get time and take part in other socio-economic activities,” he pointed out.
In delivering the plans, the country’s Third National Five Year Development Plan (FYDP III) has set a target to improve water services coverage in rural and urban areas from 70 per cent and 84 per cent (2020) to 90 per cent and 95 per cent (2025) irrespectively.
Equally, the ruling party CCM 2020/25 party manifesto has vowed to reach an 85 per cent water supply target in rural areas in the next five years, and 95 per cent in urban areas.
In May this year, the National Assembly approved 680.3bn/- for the Ministry of Water budget for 2021/22 fiscal year, with the Minister Jumaa Aweso assuring the public that there will be thorough and close monitor as well as professional implementation of water schemes.
Elaborating, Minister Aweso further said they have been making positive progress in providing water services to the public, citing increasing water access in rural areas from 70.2 per cent in 2019/20 to 72.3 per cent between July 2020 and March this year.
For the urban areas, he said several water projects were implemented between July 2020 to March this year, and terming it 86 per cent increase in comparison to the 2019/20 financial year, when the rise was 84 per cent.
On his part, the Acting Manager at the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA) in Bukoba, Eng Evaristo Mgaya, observed that the Kemondo-Maruku water project would end the problem of access to clean and safe water in five wards of Bukoba and Muleba Districts.
Eng Mgaya noted that the project is implemented in several phases, where the first one will cover the two wards of Kemondo and Maruku at 6.8bn/-.
He identified the ongoing works including preparing the structures for laying pipes which will be used for water distribution.
“The project is expected to end water woes in villages of the wards including Kemondo, Maruku, Nyangereko, Bujugo and Katerero in Bukoba District and Muhutwe Ward in Muleba District.
“Upon its completion, the project is going to benefit 117,461 people at a total value of 15.9bn/- to be spent in all the phases,” he said.
After inspecting the water project, Mr Majaliwa inspected another scheme that involved the construction of Bukoba District Hospital in Bujunangoma Ward, where he directed the regional and district authorities to effectively supervise the implementation of the project worth 500m/-.
In response, Bukoba District Commissioner, Mr Moses Machali, said the project will be implemented in phases, where the first case would involve seven buildings of Outpatient, Laboratory, Maternal and Neonatal Ward, Administration, Laundry, Radiology and drug store.
Meanwhile, the government is planning to deploy a team of experts in the Kagera Region to carry out an audit and make follow up of all assets belonging to cooperative unions so that they generate a system that benefits farmers.
Mr Majaliwa revealed this on Monday after launching the office building of the District Commissioner of Kyerwa.
The PM noted the goals was to clear the concerns raised by farmers with regard to receiving less payment in relation to their produce.
