Posted on :Thursday , 23rd June 2016
Dodoma — Deputy Minister for Water and Irrigation, Mr Isack Kamwelwe, said the government plans to change the diesel-run water pump to use solar power in a bid to reduce costs.
He said this when answering a basic question by Mr Mashimba Ndaki (Maswa West - CCM), who wanted to know the initiatives taken by the government to renovate infrastructure of Mwamihanza water dam.
He said the move is aimed at making the dam sustainable throughout the year. He said the use of solar for generating power in the water pump will reduce the running cost for people surrounding the projects.
The Deputy Minister said the government will also empower, in terms of capacity, the development of water bodies so that they are capable of running the projects to make them sustainable.
On the Mwamihanza water dam, he said its infrastructure are outdated since it was constructed in 1970 and with economic activities in the water catchment areas it has resulted into unreliable water flowing in it.
He said the economic activities such as farming and livestock keeping in catchment areas it has resulted into renovation and operation of the dam needing a lot of money compared to income generated.
He added that the government in collaboration with Maswa District Council has set up a plan to renovate the dam infrastructure in phases in the next three years. "The renovation will start in the financial year 2017/18 though local resources of the Maswa District Council and the second phase of water sector development fund," he said.