AfricaPress-Tanzania: VICE President Samia Suluhu Hassan yesterday directed the Ministry of Water to supervise the implementation of the 6.1bn/- water project to supply clean water in Muheza town and neighboring villages.
Laying a foundation stone for the implementation of the project at Kilapula village in Muheza District of Tanga Region, the VP said the ministry and other responsible authorities must ensure that it is completed on time and to required standards.
“We want our people to access enough clean and safe water for development,” she stated.
Tanga Urban Water and Sanitation Authority (Tanga-UWASA) executive director Geofrey Hilly had earlier said that insufficient water sources in the region was a major challenge.
He said that once completed, the project will be a huge relief to the residents, labouring for years to access water services.
The actual demand for water among residents of the region stand at 5,190 cubic meters per day while current production is placed at 1,445 cubic meters, in which case the project will address this challenge and bring a huge smile to the residents, he said.
He said that the fifth phase government set aside enough funds in the 2016/17 fiscal year to facilitate the implementation of the project and eradicate water blues in Muheza District.
The project will be implemented in two phases, the first stage involving installation of water pipes from Pongwe in Tanga city to Kitisa area in Muheza, he said.
Koberg Construction Co. Ltd of Dar es Salaam is collaborating with Husssein and Co. of Tanga and Tanzania Steel Pipes of Dar es Salaam during the first phase, valued at 3.5bn/-, he stated.
Peritus Exim Private Ltd shall implement the second phase valued at 2.6bn/-, where water pipes will be installed from Mowe water treatment plant in Pande, Tanga city to Pongwe.
Upon completion, the project will improve access to water in Tanga to 65 percent of total needs from the current 35 percent, thus stimulating social and economic activities, he said.
To further strengthen the availability of water in the region, the government is working to implement another project to pump water from Pangani River, commencing next month.
Reports show that about 57 percent of Tanzania’s population has access to an improved source of safe water, while about 34 percent of the population has access to improved sanitation. Under these circumstances, the poor, particularly women and girls spend a significant amount of time seeking water from ponds or rivers, risking wild animal attack at the source or along the way, studies indicate.
