How DFID program helps cover water shortages in Tanzania

LOCAL Government Authorities (LGAs) have greater chance to expand water coverage network through the use of more than 78.6 million UK Sterling Pounds (about 250bn/-) disbursed by the Department For International Development (DFID) to implement rural water supply programme (2016- 2020). The Ministry of Water and Irrigation Assistant Director Eng Jackson Mutazamba said at the technical orientation workshop on payment by results scheme for council directors in Morogoro yesterday that only few councils have accessed to the donor funds after fulfilling all the requirements. “There is sufficient funds compared to the councils’ capacity to access them that would help establish and rehabilitate water projects for reliable water supply particularly to the rural population,” he said. Payment by Result programme is a performance based programmed implemented by DFID in partnership with the government with a view to expand and provide support in order expand rural water coverage network. He said eligibility of the council will be based on the quality of data submitted particularly accuracy and a timely month to month reports. The qualifying LGAs will receive two levels of payment namely 50 British Pounds per each water point and 1,500 British Pounds for an additional functioning of water point above previous baseline. Last year, only 57 councils qualified for the large grant and received each 5,000 British UK pounds. On her part, the Assistant Director, Rural Water Supply Department in the Ministry of Water and Irrigation Ms Rita Kilua said the technical solutions retained are based on functional options relating to water sources, point water supplies, transmission, storage and distribution, as adopted on similar water schemes that were recently implemented in the country. The government is implementing a twenty year (2006-2025) Water Sector Development Programme (WSDP), which encompasses rural and urban water supply and sanitation, sanitation and hygiene, water resources management and institutional capacity building components. According to the WaterAid state of the world’s water 2016 report, in 16 countries, more than 40 per cent of the population does not have access to even a basic water facility such as a protected well. People from impoverished, marginalised communities have no choice but to collect dirty water from open ponds and rivers, or spend large chunks of their income buying water from vendors.  “This water is always a health risk; in many cases, it proves deadly. Globally, diarrhoea diseases caused by dirty water and poor sanitation are the second biggest child killer after pneumonia, taking 315,000 young lives every year,” the report reads in part.