The Minister for Water and Irrigation, Engineer Gerson Lwenge, maintained yesterday that various studies had proved that the project will not affect the ecosystem in the largest game reserve in the world.

 

"A Social and Environment Impact Assessment was conducted and the said negative impacts were put into consideration," the minister told the 'Daily News on Saturday' in a telephone interview yesterday.

 

Eng. Lwenge revealed further that detailed designing for the ambitious project has been completed and that the government was now looking for funds to implement the scheme.

 

"As you know residents around the dam have already been compensated to pave the way for construction of the facility which will act as a crucial water resource for people in Dar es Salaam," the minister explained. There have been complaints from environmental conservationists that implementation of the water project will destroy flora and fauna in the Selous Game Reserve.

 

"The government should have embarked on developing the Kimbiji and Mpera boreholes rather than Kidunda since construction of the latter could adversely affect the biodiversity in Selous Game Reserve.

 

"Rufiji River, despite of its importance in the game reserve, is as well a tourist attraction" according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Tanzania's Anti-poaching Campaign Manager, Mr Atilio Tagalile.

 

The veteran journalist-turned environmental activist, advised the government to consider other sources rather Kidunda, giving an option of drawing water from the lower part of Rufiji River for supply in Dar es Salaam and its environs.

 

The views by Mr Tagalile were echoed by WWF Tanzania's Social Services Coordinator, Prof Hussein Sosovela, who said there was a need to conduct a study to establish the value of Selous Game Reserve and implications of implementing development projects in reserve and surrounding areas.

 

"The game park should be left to be pristine and this will allow sustainable survival of flora and fauna; any disruption will have impact on its ecosystem," Prof Sosovela explained. However, during the interview with this paper yesterday, Eng. Lwenge maintained that the Kidunda water project will be implemented once funds are secured; giving assurance that concerns by the environmentalists had been taken into consideration.

 

The Kidunda dam, Kimbiji and Mpera boreholes in Kigamboni, are being considered as new sources of water for Dar es Salaam and some parts of Coast Region to boost supply from Ruvu River which currently provides the precious liquid.

 

Presenting budget estimates for his ministry in Dodoma mid-last year, Eng. Lwenge outlined grand water and sanitation plan aimed at ending the chronic water problem and improve sanitation in the country.

 

The minister had asked the august House to approve 915bn/- to implement development projects in the water sector during the fiscal year 2016/2017.Eng. Lwenge had informed the House that construction of Kidunda dam was among efforts by the government to solve water woes facing Dar es Salaam which has a population of about five million people.

 

He explained on the other hand that the project will also generate 20 megawatts of electricity along a 75-kilometre line from the dam site to Ngerengere as well as a power line from Kidunda Dam to Chalinze.

 

The minister said a detailed design of these projects to cost 215 million US dollars (about 500bn/-) has been completed. According to the minister, expansion work at the Lower Ruvu water treatment plant had been completed, increasing the facility's capacity from 180 to 270 million litres per day.

Source : allafrica.com