Prepaid water meters installation on course

DODOMA: THE deputy minister for Water, Eng Kundo Mathew yesterday assured Members of the Parliament that the countrywide exercise of fixing prepaid water meters going on well in phases.

The fixing of the prepaid meters will phase out the existing postpaid meters countrywide, according to Eng Mathew.

“The government has embarked on installing prepaid meters and will phase out postpaid meters.We will implement this in phases. In this arrangement we will complete the installation of prepaid meters for all citizens,” Eng Mathew affirmed when responding to a supplementary question from Ms Amina Mzee (Special-Seats CCM) who sought to know the updates on the ongoing exercise.

Earlier, Mtwara Rural lawmaker Shamsia Mtamba wanted to hear when the government will address water woes at Lipwidi ward in Mtwara Rural.

The Deputy Minister stated that, the Lipwidi ward has a total of 6,687 residents living in three villages of Lipwidi, Mtama and Nambela.

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In improving water service in the ward, the government has completed the feasibility study for a water project at Lipwidi that benefits 17,821 villagers of 18 villages in Mtwara district including all villages located in Lipwidi ward.

He informed the august House that the project is set for implementation during the 2024/25 financial year and will be completed within 24 months.

The project will involve the extension of Makonde big water project for distributing water from a 1,000,000-litre tank, which is under construction at Nyundo village.

The works to be implemented in the project include the construction of water storage tank with the capacity of 400,000 litres, laying down of the pipes, construction of water stations and others.

Another MP, Dr John Pallangyo (Arumeru EastCCM), sought to know when the government will drill boreholes at Maruvango, Mareu health centre, Sakila, Ngyan and Nkoaranga areas.

Responding, Eng Mathew said the government through the programme for drilling 900 water wells has completed hydrogeological survey at the villages of Maruvango, Mareu, Sakila, Ngyan, Nkoaranga and Mareu health centres whereby borehole drilling is expected to begin late this month and expected to be completed in August this year.