MANYARA: THE government has pledged to expand water infrastructure to underserved areas to ensure more Tanzanians have access to clean and safe water.
Speaking during a tour of Hanang District in Manyara Region, Deputy Minister for Water, Engineer Kundo Mathew, said the government would continue implementing water projects to extend services to communities that had yet to be reached.
He directed the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA) Regional Manager to ensure residents travelled no more than two kilometres to access water by bringing services closer to their homes.
Mr Mathew said water authorities in Manyara Region should ensure every village in Hanang District had access to water services by 2030.
“Manyara still has 55 villages without clean and safe water services, while in Hanang District, only 20 villages remain without water infrastructure,” he said.
He added: “No country can develop without giving priority to the water sector. Water is life, politics and essential to our health and the nation’s workforce.”
ALSO READ: Over 3,700 water projects completed, more underway
Mr Mathew emphasised that water was an economic resource and that investing in the sector was essential to supporting various economic activities.
He urged residents of Mulbadaw Village to protect water infrastructure, including water sources, to ensure sustainable services for future generations.
He said safeguarding water infrastructure was also a way of protecting public funds allocated by the government through the ministry and relevant authorities.
Earlier, Hanang Member of Parliament, Asia Halamgha, asked the Deputy Minister to ensure funds were allocated to the district to drill boreholes in areas without water services, enabling residents to access a reliable supply.
Hanang District Commissioner, Vita Kawawa, said the directives issued by the Deputy Minister would be implemented on time.
She also stressed the importance of community cooperation in protecting and maintaining water infrastructure.
Some Hanang residents commended the government for extending water services to their communities, saying they had previously been forced to walk more than five kilometres to fetch water.