DODOMA, Tanzania: Tanzania has completed 16 water projects worth 16.28 billion shillings ($6.3 million) in the first 100 days of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s renewed term, expanding access to clean water for more than 118,000 people, the water minister said.
Water Minister Jumaa Aweso said a further 71 projects were under construction nationwide, with several already supplying water.
Once completed, they are expected to benefit nearly 2.9 million people.
Presenting the ministry’s 100-day report in Dodoma, Aweso said the government had also launched the National Water Grid, a flagship initiative to transfer water from reliable sources such as lakes and rivers to water-stressed areas.
“The design for the Lake Victoria–Dodoma Water Project has been completed. Procurement of a contractor is the next step,” Aweso said.
Projects drawing water from Lake Victoria are progressing in Musoma, Rorya–Tarime, Bunda, Simiyu, Mwanza, Geita, Chato, Biharamulo and Bukoba, he said.
Feasibility studies and detailed designs are also underway for water supply schemes from Lake Tanganyika to Kigoma, Katavi, Songwe and Rukwa regions, while consultant procurement is ongoing for projects drawing water from Lake Nyasa to Njombe and Ruvuma.
Aweso said design work had also been completed for projects sourcing water from the Rufiji River for Dar es Salaam, Coast and Lindi regions, and from the Ruvuma River for the Mtwara–Mikindani area.
Several major contracts were signed during the period, including the 119 billion shilling Tunduma Water Project and water and sanitation projects in Morogoro and Mwanza valued at more than 120 billion shillings combined.
The minister said more than 2,200 prepaid water meters had been procured, while rainwater harvesting dams under construction will store 1.45 million cubic metres of water and support more than 1.8 million people and 356,000 livestock. More than 705,000 trees have been planted in water catchment areas, he added.
