Looming drought: Let’s use water well, conserve sources
A section of Ruvu River in Coast Region which is the main source of safe water for the city of Dar es Salaam and its environs. However, in recent years, the water levels in the river has been reported to fall. PHOTO | FILE
In the last two weeks, especially in the area where I reside, the taps (piped water) have been dry. And, this is not uncommon.
The acute shortage of this precious liquid in Dar es Salaam, reminds us of its importance in our day to day life. Yes, water is a precious resource and we cannot live without it.
In this situation, it becomes very risky buying water from vendors. This is mainly because you can never be too sure about its source--is it safe, is it unsafe?
Stories about young men seekign to make ends meet collecting sewage water and sell it to desperate citizens are aplenty. They swear by every ‘god’ they know to assure buyers that the water came from boreholes, but in truth, it is sewage water. And as a result, cases of people suffering from water-borne diseases are commong. So our fears are real, when we are not able to get Dawasa water.
Yet when the water is plenty, we see some people misusing it. Dawasa has reported from time to time that some people even break water pipes so they would get water for free. The ordinary citizen will just watch and not report to the necessary authorities of such malpractices.
At our homes, sometimes we have significant misuse of water. In some places, one can wash a single glass (for drinking water) with about half a litre of water. When filling up containers, instead of waiting for the container to fill up and close the tap, we often leave it, and after it is full, a lot of water goes to waste. We need behavioural change on how we use and manage water at all times!
On October 23, 2021, Dawasa chief executive officer Cyprian Luhemeja announced there was a reduction of water production in River Ruvu, from 520 million litres to 460 million litres per day. This has adversely affected water supply to Dar es Salaam and Coast Region.
According to data provided by the Ministry of Water on Wami Ruvu Basin, the water depth of the Ruvu River has decreased due to prolonged dry season. The Dawasa boss was quoted as saying in our sister newspaper, Mwananchi.
Likewise, according to Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA), there is a shortage of rain in various parts of the country, which will affect the economy adversely. TMA Director-General Agnes Kijazi has indicated that the shortfall of rains will last from November 2021 to April 2022. The regions to be affected are Kigoma, Tabora, Dodoma, Singida, Katavi, Rukwa, Songwe, Mbeya and Iringa. Note that the mainstay of these regions’ economies is agriculture, which is rainfall dependant.
TMA predicts that there will be a long period of drought from November 2021 to January 2022. What does all this portend? This means climate change is real and not merely an academic concept. Although a number of studies have been done and have proposed about climate change adaptation and mitigation measures, yet studies are still needed to investigate more and propose other possible ways on how we can reverse the situation of preventing droughts in the future.
The advice of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere of planting three trees for every tree we cut is often ignored. In the meantime, it’s the duty of every citizen, to use water sparing, especially in Dar es Salaam. The citizens must also be at the forefront in ensuring the protection of Dawasa’s water infrastructure.
We should not tolerate those who break Dawasas’ pipes and steal water for their selfish gains. With the reduced water from the sources, it’s paramount that Dawasa ensures there are no wastages along the pipes.
This include ensures the broken pipes are repaired with lots of speed and not allow any water wastage. Water is a one of the limited resource and need to be used and managed well. Let’s use water resource sustainably!
