Water Minister, Prof Jumanne Maghembe
Desalination plants have so far worked to alleviate water shortage in Asia, America and Europe.
Salt water is desalinated to produce fresh water suitable for human consumption or irrigation.
Water Minister, Prof Jumanne Maghembe revealing the plans when tabling his ministry's 2014/15 budget estimates in the National Assembly on Saturday, did not discuss the cost of the plan.
While most of the modern interest in desalination is focused on developing cost-effective ways of providing fresh water for human use, the hurdle is the relatively higher energy consumption of desalinating sea water than the alternatives (fresh water from rivers or groundwater, water recycling and water conservation).
Prof Maghembe noted that plans are underway to secure funds for the projects and that a feasibility study for its implementation has been commissioned.
He said the project will be implemented under the Public Private Partnership (PPP).
He told the National Assembly that massive increase of population especially in towns is among the challenges facing his ministry in supplying reliable water to the people.
“Most towns grow faster than the water infrastructure can carry,” he said, adding that urban population was increasing at the average rate of 4.5 percent while in rural areas it was growing by 2.3 percent annually.
He said that the average population growth for Dar es Salaam City is 5.6 percent per year.
The Minister admitted that there has been little investment on water infrastructure networks in rural areas, that thing that forces villagers to walk for long distances in the search of the precious liquid.
A desalination project, according to the minister is in addition to an enormous engineering feat called water sector development programme that's in line with the country's development vision 2025. The programme aims at improving water supply, sanitation and water resources management.
Prof Maghembe highlighted projects that target to address chronic water shortage in Dar es Salaam as the expansion of Upper and Lower Ruvu, construction of 20 boreholes in Kimbiji and Mpera and expansion of water pipeline from Bagamoyo to Dar es Salaam to boost water supply in the city. He said all the projects will be completed this year.
Speaking on shortage of funds allocated for his Ministry, he said that for the last three financial years the ministry has received only part of the endorsed budget.
He explained that in the 2011/12 the National Assembly approved over 41.56bn/- but the government disbursed 24.74bn/-, while in the 2012/13 financial year the ministry was to get over 140bn/- but only 104bn/- was disbursed.
He said that in the 2013/14 fiscal year, the parliament approved over 312bn/- for the completion of various water projects in the country but until March this year, only 86bn/- had been received. He said the deficit is equivalent to 72.4 percent of the total budget.
He however said that shortage of water in the country is mostly contributed by leakages. He said the Dar es Salaam Water Supply Corporation (DAWASCO) lost 52 per cent of water through leakage, equivalent to 50bn/- for two years consequently.
Meanwhile, rural authorities have been losing an average of 34.2m/- annually.
The minister associated water leakage to outdated water infrastructure, illegal connections and sabotage of sewage infrastructures fueled by an alarming scrap metal business in the city.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Water, Prof Peter Msolla said that climate change also threatens the ministry's efficiency.
He noted that despite parliament requesting for additional budget of 173.8bn/- for this financial year, the ministry received only 46.56bn/- equivalent to 27percent of the approved budget.
Prof Msolla advised parliament to press the government to release the remaining 226.1bn/- for completion of the projects.
Tabling the alternative budget, Shadow Water Minister, Magdalena Sakaya urged the ministry to implement a comprehensive initiative of harvesting rainwater and construction of dams to store water for agriculture and livestock.
The shadow minister also expressed dismay over the government’s persistent failure to release even half of the endorsed budget.
Prof Maghembe asked the parliament to endorse 520.9bn/- for the ministry's 2014/15 development and recurrent and expenditure.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
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