Africa-Press – Tanzania. GOVERNMENT is weighing to provide site-specific weather information and customize the solution to miners across the country in an attempt to support efficiency and safety in all mining activities.
Eng Aron Kisaka has announced on behalf of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication that the government had invested in the procurement of sophisticated machinery which can provide over 80 per cent accurate forecast data.
“There have been a lot of accidents and sometimes casualties in the mining activities owing to insufficient weather information. We believe timely information will help miners and responsible authorities to plan ahead in an event of disasters,” he said.
He said the weather information is vital in reducing such accidents and that the government is committed to protecting the people.
Eng Kisaka made the remarks during a mining stakeholders’ workshop organised by the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) to deliberate the implementation of the TMA Act No 2 of 2019.
Themed “Use of Meteorological products and service for sustainable mining and sustainable industrialisation in Tanzania”, the PS representative noted that the new initiative will improve productivity, efficiency and safety.
He said there have been complaints from stakeholders on the accuracy of the forecast data issued by the authority, but insisted the data provided is 80 per cent accurate.
TMA Director-General Dr Agnes Kijazi said at the workshop that better use of climate information will lead to positive results in the mining industry.
“This is an opportunity for the authority to build capacity among mining industry stakeholders on benefits and opportunities that come with better use of meteorological products and services,” she said.
She said the authority is working to reduce the wave of destruction that comes as a result of weather-related events.
Mineral sector grew from 3.4 per cent to 5.2 per cent between 2015 and 2019 contributing some 527bn/- in the nation basket in 2019. The sector also contributes 2.7billion US dollars in foreign currency.
According to TMA Acting Board of Directors Chairman Robert Sunday, the mining sector is growing relatively well and therefore it needs better weather information to continuously contribute to the national GDP.
“There are more than 332438 people employed in the sector and we want to ensure the safety of all these people during the activities at the mines,” he said.
Federation of Miners Association in Tanzania (FEMATA) representative Harouna Kinega there has been event of weather-related accidents that are beyond wind and rains.
“We need information on hurricane and earthquakes to be able to mine in a much more safety environment,” he said thanking the government for inviting stakeholders to take part in the process.
