The government will direct its efforts to ensure clean
water supplies in small townships all over the country with effect from next
year’s budget, the Minister for Water Professor Jumanne Maghembe has said. The
Minister made a clarification to Members of Parliament during its session which
ended last week in Dodoma on how the government was struggling to end the perennial
water problem which has affected most people especially those in rural areas in
various parts in the country. He said despite government’s continued efforts to
ensure abundant clean water supply , lack of enough money has been a drawback to
the development of the sector which is important for mankind development. In
view of this, the government had been directing its efforts in big towns and
cities for this year’s financial period to cater for the need of industrial and
domestic use. But during the 2014/15 financial year it will direct its efforts
to smaller townships and rural areas where the majority of Tanzanians lives. He
said many places in the country are faced with water problem which has become a
hard core issue which needs special attention by the government wherever
possible, and this will depend on the availability of fund, especially donor
funding agencies. The Minister noted
that, despite of budget constraint allocated for the mobilization of the water
program in his ministry, on the other hand donor agencies such as the World
Bank who have been in the forefront for the development of water reform in the
country, have sometimes been so reluctant to issue their money on time.
He said
the dependence on donor agencies has to a certain extent has reduced down the
pace of development an aspect that it becomes difficult to accomplish the
intended water projects in some various parts in the country. The minister was
responding a supplementary question by Dr. Henry Shekifu (CCM) who wanted to
know efforts by the government to end the water perennial problem which has
become a subject of debate for its greater need of use by the people in the
country. Earlier, the legislator directed his question to the Prime Minister’s
office and wanted to know how the government has put in place its strategies to
end a hard core problem of the water supply in Lushoto district which to a greater
extent is contributed to the dilapidated water supply equipments. Answering the
question on behalf of the Prime Minister, deputy minister for Local government
Aggrey Mwanri said that, the Lushoto town receives clean water to the
percentage rate of 60 percent, an aspect that it still have to meet a challenge
of the adequate water supply in the
district. He said in order to curb with such a challenge, the government had
set aside a total of Sh. 450 million for the implementation of various water network
projects in the district. He said the money is to be used together with the
laying down water pipe from Kibohelo to Masgamba and then to Maguzoni so as to
fill up a water tank reservoir with a capacity of 225,000 liters. From Maguzoni
the water network will pump the water to Lushoto town for use. He also noted
that, the Lushoto district council will make a follow up of the allocated money
from the government to use it for the purpose intended.
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