afrol News, 10 February - The Tanzanian government has assured a US$ 23 million financing of its project to enhance water supply in the arid Monduli District. Boreholes are to secure clean groundwater for almost 75,000 people in the impoverished rural district.

Representatives from the Tanzanian government and the African Development Bank (ADB) today in Tunis signed a grant protocol of US$ 22.98 million to finance the Monduli District Water Supply Project in Tanzania. The project was approved by the Board of the African Development Fund (ADF) on 27 November last year.

According to the project's official description, it "will help improve rural water supply for domestic and livestock consumption, enhance community awareness of the need for better sanitation, improve overall natural resources management in an arid area, and consequently lead to the reduction of water related poverty in the selected areas of the Monduli District."

The project aims at providing water supply infrastructure consisting of water source, intake works, treatment, transmission and distribution according to the nature of the settlement and the type of resource used.

- Activities in this area will consist of rehabilitation of 7 existing surface water storage facilities in 4 villages and construction of 8 new ones in 8 villages, according to a release by the ADB. "Work on groundwater sources will include protection of 8 springs in 7 villages and drilling and development of 18 boreholes for 6 of the villages in different locations."

The boreholes are to be fitted with motorised pumps that empty water into elevated local storage tanks before distribution. For many of the surface storage tanks, separate pipes are said to be provided for domestic water use different from those for livestock consumption.

The project area comprises 18 villages and two town settlements - including the District's administrative centre of Monduli and Namanga - out of the 73 villages in the whole of Monduli district. The villages are spread over the Manyara, Kisongo and Longido Divisions. The population in project area is estimated at about 72,462.

- Tanzania has made good progress in the implementation of its program of economic and social reforms, which is anchored on the poverty reduction strategy of the country, declared Mr Nkodo, the bank representative signing the protocol on behalf of ADB.

By staff writer

© afrol News

Related pages and feature

Current afrol News Top Stories