Tanroads set to upgrade 39km road in Chunya District

Chunya. The Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads) in Mbeya Region expects to upgrade 39km-Chunya-Makongorosi Road at tarmac level in Chunya District in the 2071/18 financial year.

Tanroads acting regional manager Seleman Lawena said they were preparing construction materials as road upgrade was expected to begin at any time from next month.

He explained that the actual cost of road upgrade until its completion was still unknown and insisted that funds for the project were being released in instalments and they would start road upgrading once the full amount was obtained.

Earlier, Mbeya regional commissioner Amos Makalla, while speaking at a meeting of the regional consultative committee directed the Tanroad regional leadership to ensure once they embarked on road upgrade they must make sure that they had the actual number of residents deserving compensation for paving the way.

“I direct Tanroads to start holding meetings as early as possible at villages, where the road passes so that they can carry out an evaluation of property for the families that will be affected by the project so that they can be compensated,’’ the RC said.

He explained that road upgrading would be big relief to the residents, who had been reminding him of the road challenge whenever he went to hold meetings with them.

He added that lack of reliable transport had also been a problem to the residents as it impeded their development and the region lost revenue.

Responding, Mr Lawena said they had already laid down strategies and starting next week they would be at the village to ascertain the number of villages and families deserving compensation and those, who did not.

For his part, Chunya District Council chairman Bosco Mwanginde urged Tanroads to carry out an evaluation of property as soon as possible to avoid complaints from villagers that they were evicted without preparing themselves.

Residents near road projects in various parts of the country complain about inadequate compensation and even if they are compensated the money they are given does not match the current market value for the very fact that there is delayed compensation. There are complaints also about notices served to families that are told to relocate. Those, who have been affected by similar projects say that they are often given a notice of eviction few days before the eviction day and this causes them trouble with law enforcers for the time given is often too short to be able to gather what they have invested in the area given the fact that they have lived there for a long time.