Construction of Farkwa Dam, is it the death of Bahi?

When President Jakaya Kikwete visited Bahi District during the 2010 presidential campaigns, he promised the Bahi residents he would build them a dam. The Secretary of Matajila Farming Scheme, Mr Yona Chigundu is among those who cheered.

The irrigation scheme he oversees is among five that operate in Bahi, namely Matajila (450 hectares), Bahi Sokoni (2040 hectares), Nguvumali (160 hectares), Mtazamo (165 hectares) and Uhelela (134 hectares) covering a total of 2,949 hectares of surveyed land.

“This would mean that we would be able to harvest at least twice a year. We are only able to harvest once because we depend on seasonal rains” he said. The people’s hopes were up.

But three years later, after waiting patiently and being occasionally reassured by Bahi MP Baduel Omari (CCM) that the government was going to keep its word, minister for Water Prof Jumanne Maghembe mentioned in his speech on the estimates of his ministry’s revenue and expenditure for 2013/14 fiscal year, the government’s plan to build a dam in Dodoma. Bahi residents were left in despair. Prof Maghembe revealed that the government was going to build a dam in Farkwa which is in Chemba district in Dodoma, some 70 kilometres north of Bahi and about 130 kilometres north of Dodoma city along the way to Kondoa. What the residents didn’t anticipate, says Mr Chigundu, is that the construction of this promised dam would threaten the very existence of their district.

“We are not well informed about the government’s decisions. The only thing we know is what we have heard mentioned in Parliament, that the dam’s main purpose is to supply water for Dodoma Municipality. We wonder what will happen to us,” said Mr Chigundu adding that Bahi Irrigation Scheme is highly dependent on River Bubu, the same river whose water will be used to fill the dam.

Speaking to The Citizen on Saturday municipal council official Mr Hussein Kamau said the reason the people are not informed is because the municipal council itself is not officially informed. “This project is being operated from the top level down. We are yet to receive official statement concerning the project and how it will affect the district. Hence, I cannot give any official comment on this” he said. The Bahi Municipal Council’s executive director, Ms Rachel Chuwa, testified the same.

Bahi District Commissioner Betty Mkwasa gave similar remarks. She said that her office hasn’t received any official information on the project. “We have not received any official statement concerning the project. There are a lot of villages that depend on River Bubu. If enough water will not reach Bahi, then that will be a huge problem to the welfare of the people here. But I cannot say much because I do not have any official information on this,” she said.

But an environmental engineer from the ministry of Water, Kalunde Kassim, said nothing has been done in secrecy.

Kassim said TRES Consult (T) Limited, a French certified firm of environmental and social experts was awarded the contract in September 2012 by the ministry of Water to undertake Environmental and Social Studies: Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), Resettlement Action Plan (RAP), Livelihood Restoration Plan (LRP) and if required Indigenous People Restoration Plan (IPRP) of the proposed Farkwa dam and its water conveyance system to Dodoma Municipality.

The World Bank – funded project under the water sector development programme will construct a dam that will supply water throughout the year to the Municipality of Dodoma. It will store water up to an elevation of 1110 metres above sea level, with inundation area of around 48 square kilometres. It is also estimated to have a height of 35 metres with estimated total storage volume of 290,000 cubic metres – 850, 000 cubic metres depending on the type of dam. But all this is not conclusive, said Ms Kassim, as studies are still in progress to determine the right size of the dam.

Although the initial plan was to construct the dam for the sole purpose of fulfilling the needs of Dodoma Municipality, other users of River Bubu have been considered, said Ms Kassim. “When the consultants brought the inception report, the water demands considered were for commercial, institution, industries and livestock use, irrigation demands were not considered. Members of the dam construction panel demanded its inclusion. On preparing the ESIA progress report, they visited various villages that use River Bubu waters for irrigation, including those in Bahi district” she said.

Furthermore, according to Bahi District Agriculture Officer Mr Sylvester Kashaga, the council has been involved. Mr. Kashaga’s name and signature appears in an official ESIA progress report showing that he was present in a sensitization meeting.

Yet, names of the municipal council chairman, the municipal council executive director and the district councillor do not appear. “If there is any who claims that we haven’t been involved, they are lying. The council is well informed about the construction of Farkwa Dam. I can testify to that” he said.

Dodoma Municipality is currently using Makotopora well fields for its water supply, said Dodoma Urban Water Supply Authority (Duwasa) managing director Peter Mokiwa. Currently, the 20 water bore holes yield 31,000 cubic meters per day but its’ installed capacity is 37,000 cubic metres per day. Yet it has a capacity to yield 70, 000 cubic metres per day.

Kassim explained that studies show that in 2012, the domestic use of water in Dodoma Municipality was 38,567 cubic metres per day, it is estimated that this will rise to 64,837 cubic metres per day in 2034. The total demand of water for Dodoma Municipality and nearby rural areas will be 186,792 cubic metres per day. And there are various studies giving different projections.

For instance, according to COWI – the water demand is set to be 120, 000 cubic meters per day by 2025. “We are still in the phase I of the study, hence nothing is conclusive. We still have two more phases” she said.

Eng. Kassim added: “It is estimated that in 2012 the population was 410, 956 people (city) and 22, 144 people (rural) while in 2034 the population will be 692, 460 people (city) and 31, 399 people (rural). It is obvious that there will be an increase in population, hence an increase in water demand”

Furthermore, Eng. Mokiwa said it is his office that proposed for this dam, reminding the government of plans to build Farkwa dam started in the 70s when Mr. Cleopa Msuya was the Premier. “We are the ones who asked the government to revive the project. The population is increasing rapidly. We now have various university and small scale industries in Dodoma. We need this” he said.

But filling a dam takes time, said Mr. Kayumbo Kabutali, Secretary of Civil Education is the Solution for Poverty and Environmental Management (CESOPE), a Non-Governmental Organization based in Dodoma that deals with environmental issues. “What will happen in the meantime as we wait for the dam to fill?”

This will not be a problem, said Eng. Kassim, “Everything has been taken into consideration. There will be outlet structures so that water reaches those downstream even during filling of the dam” she said.

Although Eng. Kassim reassures that the government has everything under control, CESOPE’s Director Mr. Antony Lyamunda said nothing is clear yet. According to Mr. Lyamunda, the organization conducted a research and on speaking to government officials it was revealed that the water released to flow naturally in river Bubu heading for Bahi wetland will be reduced to 20%. Inevitably the villages Mombose and Bubutole will have to be resettled.

“For the pipeline delivering water to Dodoma, it is discussed that two pipelines will be constructed: one pipeline will start from Farkwa to Babayu, following the road from Kondoa and arriving directly in Dodoma. The second pipeline, after starting from Farkwa will pass Kogongo, Lukali, Lamaiti, Msisi, Zanka and then join the other pipeline from Babayu” he said.

Mr. Lyamunda also explained that even although the government mentioned irrigation as one of the major objectives of the project, there are no plans yet on how this will be implemented. Plans for beneficiaries remain vague.

But Eng. Kassim said that it is too soon to give any definite conclusions. The project is still in progress and a lot of changes will be made along the way.

Bahi District’s Irrigation Technician Mr. Nicolas Lipindu said if the government will successfully build the dam and ensure that the right amount of water reaches Bahi, it would be of great advantage to the irrigation scheme. “If we can moderate how much water enters the farms, a lot of water will be retained. Water losses through seepage and evaporation will be minimized” he said.

MP Baduel Omari told The Citizen that this is a national project that involves more than one district and more than one ministry aimed at development cause. “There is no connection between Uranium mining and the constriction of Farkwa Dam. This has been the government’s plan for a long time. It is what the wananchi want”

Mr. Chigundu said, time will tell. For now, he and other wananchi in Bahi district have nothing else to do but to wait and hope that every word said by the government concerning construction of Farkwa dam is true.