AfricaPress-Tanzania: MAJOR reforms to manage flood risk as a system in the country is urgently needed, the National Assembly was told on Thursday.
That was said in response to Special Seats Member of Parliament (MP-CCM), Bernadetha Musha, questioning the government’s permanent solution to ongoing floods, which have left some people dead, homeless, and infrastructures’ damaged and farms equally submerged.
Citing Bukoba urban, she claimed that the ongoing rains have caused serious destructions to the residents and infrastructures as a result of Kanoni River being filled with sediments annually.
However, in response, the Deputy Minister of State Vice President’s Office (Union and Environment), Mr Mussa Sima clarified that pollution in the river was as a result of human activities, which include wastes’ dump and washed ashore debris.
He said that neighbouring communities routinely build houses for living and business premises including cowsheds, and car wash sites near the river’s banks, which pollute it, adding: “Bukoba Township Council is now implementing short term measures, which will include suspending human activities and removing people near the river’s banks.”
He said equally, the council will uproot unfriendly planted trees near the banks to protect free flow of water in the river, and provide public awareness.
Mr Sima noted that uprooting of the trees will go alongside planting new ones in right places to safeguard the banks and allow free water flow.
Of late, the authorities have been using Community Radio Stations to raise-public awareness on the danger(s) of polluting the environment and any water source and on the importance of the residents’ voluntarily relocating to safe places far from flood prone areas.
