AfricaPress-Tanzania: GOVERNMENT’s efforts in increasing water availability in rural and urban settings by 85 and 95 per cent respectively by 2025 has received fresh impetus following the recently launched water project that benefits 1.2 million Tabora residents.
Inaugurating the 617 bn/- water project at Ali Hassan Mwinyi stadium in Tabora, on Saturday, President John Magufuli said water is life and its supply to the citizens should not be taken for granted.
The scheme that involves piping water from Lake Victoria, about 281-kilometer is a continuation of the government’s initiative to supply the area residents with clean and safe water, being one of the pledges Dr Magufuli made to the people last year during the October General Elections.
Its inauguration came barely a day after President Magufuli had launched 23.17bn/- Isaka-Kagongwa water project in Shinyanga region.
The mega 617bn/- water project implemented by three Indian contractors- Megha Engineering Infrastructures, L & T Company and Shiram Company is funded with a loan from the Indian government and will benefit the residents of Tabora, Nzega and Igunga districts.
Launching the project, President Magufuli noted that the work that was started in August 2017 and will be completed next month has been managed within the agreed time- a lesson to other contractors to deliver within their contracts’ agreements.
“Tabora had a special contribution in the liberation of this country that is why I did not hesitate to endorse 617bn /- to implement its project. To bring water from Lake Victoria to here (Tabora) is not an easy task,” President Magufuli said, adding that it was the biggest project to be implemented in the country.
Elaborating, he instructed the Water Ministry to ensure it supplies reliable water to the residents of the three districts and extend to Urambo, Sikonge and Kaliua by using 25bn/- saved during the implementation of the project.
He equally pointed out that in this 2020/21 budget, the government has set aside 16.5bn/- to further implement water projects in Tabora region.
Earlier, Water Minister Jumaa Aweso narrated how he made several visits to the water projects in the region to make sure the residents no longer face water shortages.
“The issue of water shortage in this region was a challenge, and during the election campaigns… that was the main concern from the residents.
“President Magufuli pledged to address this challenge and today we are witnessing the launch of this 600bn/- and over project similar to our ministry’s annual budget,” Mr Aweso said.
The project produces 54 million litres of water on daily basis to targeted 1.2 million people, whose demand is 37 million litres, hence, a surplus of 17 million litres.
“This project has been implemented with high integrity and I have been coming here several times to make follow ups and close monitoring,” he added.
However, he noted that the ministry was still determined that Tanzanians living in rural and urban areas will still have access to clean and safe water, adding that bogus contractors will not have a smooth sail with the ministry.
In a related development, the minister warned the water authorities in the region against inflating water bills to the citizens, saying “the residents must only pay what a meter reads.”
Before launching the scheme, President Magufuli laid a foundation stone for the construction of a building at Kitete Regional Hospital as Emergency Department with funds from the Global Fund.
Currently, the hospital’s emergence unit has the capacity to cater for 15 patients, but upon completion it will serve 50 patients.
“The construction of this building is continued efforts of the government to improve hospital infrastructures countrywide,” Dr Magufuli said.
At the event, the President was however, irritated upon getting a report that some doctors assigned in the institution had resigned over low pay.
