Flooding inundates cities as Tanesco issues clarification
Engorora village chairman Justine Leiyan stands beside his car, wrecked by yesterday's floods. He and a companion narrowly escaped when the floodwaters swept it away. PHOTO | JANETH MUSHI
What you need to know:
- Stakeholders have been pointing accusing fingers at the dam, noting that it has a significant role in exacerbating the catastrophe in the two districts located in the Coast Region.
Dar es Salaam. As floods wreak havoc in Arusha and Mbeya cities, the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) has refuted claims linking the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) with the disaster in Kibiti and Rufiji districts.
Stakeholders have been pointing accusing fingers at the dam, noting that it has a significant role in exacerbating the catastrophe in the two districts located in the Coast Region.
However, a statement issued by Tanesco on April 11, 2024, says instead of exacerbating the disaster, the project has eased floods on the Rufiji River.
“Flood waters have been first absorbed by the dam and stored for a long time to prevent the occurrence of floods that used to happen in the past in Kibiti and Rufiji,” reads part of the statement.
While Tanesco stands firm in defending the JNHPP through the provision of statistics on the river’s history, dissenting voices continue to emerge.
An unnamed expert, critical of the project, highlighted concerns about its impact on the region.
“What I believe is that this situation has been exacerbated by the presence of the dam, which, while helping to collect water, its filling and subsequent release of water pose problems for the residents of this area,” said the expert.
However, Tanesco stresses the necessity of the JNHPP in harnessing the Rufiji River Basin’s potential for electricity generation.
“One of the reasons for initiating the JNHPP project in the Rufiji areas is because of the presence of flood-water in the Rufiji River basin,” another part of the statement reads.
The state-owned power utility company attributes the recent floods to El Niño rains and the negative impacts of climate change.
Meanwhile, on the ground, the situation remains dire, with Rufiji District Commissioner Major Edward Gowele saying floods have affected over 88,000 individuals.
“Out of the 13 wards in Rufiji, 12 have been affected by the floods. Assessments have revealed that 23,000 households have been affected,” the DC told CCM vice chairman (Mainland), Abdulrahman Kinana, in his recent visit.
He said floods have claimed lives, including a 20-year-old woman and a one-year-old child, highlighting the urgent need for essential services, including shelter, food, healthcare, and protection, for the affected population.
A canine team accompanied by experts is to visit the districts to assess the situation.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said the minister of state in the Prime Minister’s office, Policy, Coordination, and Parliamentary Affairs, Ms Jenista Mhagama, and the docket’s permanent secretary, Dr Jim Yonazi, were on their way to the districts.
He said to strengthen the assessment exercise, health, agriculture, livestock, and fisheries ministers would be dispatched to the districts. In another development, several homes and shops have been inundated in the Arusha and Mbeya regions, as well as bridges obstructed.
In some areas, vehicles have been swept away or severely damaged by the surging flood-water.
In the Kisongo Area of Arumeru District, residents like Ms Tatu Kisaburi faced catastrophic losses as flood-water engulfed their homes, leaving them with nothing.
“We tried to open the door from the inside, but it wouldn’t move. Water had already reached the middle of the door. We had to go back inside and climb onto the roof to flee from the disaster,” she recounts.
She noted that, though they managed to flee unhurt, everything in their house floated outside.
Another resident, Ms Lydia Mollel, narrated a heart-wrenching tale of how her infant was rescued after being tossed onto a tin roof to escape the deluge.
“I was sleeping with my little son when I saw water coming into the house. I started screaming for help,” says Ms Mollel.
At that point, she added: “Someone called Omary remains to be our hero. Despite water reaching the neck, he managed to grab the kid from me, carry him on his head, and throw him onto the roof.”
Despite the perilous conditions, reports indicate that eight individuals managed to survive being swept away by the torrents in various parts of the region.
However, the toll on property has been significant, with several vehicles and buildings suffering damage. The Arusha Regional Fire and Rescue Commander, Mr Osward Manjejele, confirmed the extensive destruction caused by the floods, highlighting collapsed structures and ruined merchandise. “My team managed to rescue eight people and six vehicles. Different goods from shops located on the outskirts have been damaged as building walls collapsed,” he said.
In the Mbeya Region, over 208 households in the Bugema One and Ilopa neighbourhoods of Katumba Songwe Ward, Kyela District, have been forced to evacuate their homes due to the rising flood-water.
