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DAR GOES DRY (Tanzania News)

Acute water shortage hits city residents

DAR ES SALAAM residents, in most parts, have experienced acute shortage of water, a situation which has affected over 90 per cent of consumers. Most of the residents part upto shillings 400 to buy a 20 litre bucket of the universal solvent.

A Survey by The Express in the three city districts  Kinondoni, Ilala and Temeke showed that most parts were dry except isolated areas in Kinondoni including Masaki, Msasani, Mikocheni and Mbezi Beach which had their pipes flowing, but not in full capacity with little pressure. Some people were found using inward mouth pressure to increase the flow.

The Express survey also revealed that women were the most affected and were found with buckets on their heads hunting for just a few litres of water.

Women had to wake up as early as 1 a.m to look for water. Water hawkers had found the situation lucrative and have been selling a 20-litre bucket of water between shillings 400 and 600.

When contacted for comment, directors from the Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority (DAWASA) kept silent, but senior officials told the Express that the bosses have always been out discussing privatisation process of the authority without concern for the current wel being of the company. In any case youcannot go out marketing a company that is not meeting the demands of the clients, one official was heard commenting. With the ongoing water shortage, giant companies including the Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL) have had to spend millions of shillings weekly, to transport water. A TBL staff pumped into this reporter and commented about the crisis. As long as DAWASA exists in its current status, brewers in Dar es Salaam will be forced to spend more money on water, and hence reducing our competitive edge against our competitors as this would affect the cost of production.

Soft drinks factories and natural water processing industries are the most hit business stakeholders in the ongoing water shortage. I am expecting the worst. Unless the government takes the question of water as an issue in need of a quick solution one water plant operator said.

DAWASA has been put under divestiture process through the Presidential Parastatal Sector Reform Commission (PSRC), but so far, not much has been done in accelerating the process. Two French companies  Vivendi General des Saux and Saur International were last week declared winners of the pre-qualifying bid to buy DAWASA. The two French companies are expected to sign an agreement with the Tanzanian government in April to acquire the minority shares of DAWASA in a ten-year old contract. The winners will be running and maintaining water supply and sewerage services in Dar es Salaam. PSRC co ordinator, Dr Hevenlight Kavishe said that the bid submissions contained technical and financial proposals. DAWASA has been under heavy attacks from city residents for its failure to supply clean and treated water.

We import everything.Will it be water next. We cannot even supply water to our people and we talk big about attracting private capital. We better wake up. Who would want to come here and face water shortages and know no one to complain to, said a very disturbed Dar resident Shabani.

-SNIP-

-- Dee (T1Colt556@aol.com), February 13, 2000

Answers

We fret about oil on this forum, but lack of oil is a minor inconvenience compared to lack of water.

Unless of course, you depend on cheap oil to make the diesel to power the trains that deliver the coal to the coal-fired power plants that generate the electricity that powers the pumps that get water to all of our homes.

Whew!

I wonder what the water situation will be like this summer in light of the fuel situation, and as a result of my wondering I'm still holding onto my filled emergency water tanks. Water will be key this summer, IMHO. It just keeps getting hotter every year...

Peace, Y'all!

Don

-- Shimoda (enlighten@me.com), February 13, 2000.

Some good words of wisdom Don.

-- Dee (T1Colt556@aol.com), February 13, 2000.

Well said Don, every bath I take I thank God; the day may come that a bath is a great luxury.

-- soaking (in@the.tub), February 13, 2000.