Legislators have quizzed the government over wells drilled in districts, saying that they were running dry during summer.
They also question the quality of contractors selected to implement the projects.

Dr Festust Limbu Magu-Urban MP in a supplementary question requested the government to explain why wells particularly those drilled during the Health through Sanitation and Water (HESAWA) projects were going dry, leaving people starving without water. 

The Deputy Minister for Water, Dr Binilith Mahenge, in his response attributed the drying of some wells to lack of in-depth research on the projects.
He said most of the drilled wells are less than 30 meters deep as indicated by the law.

“Most of these wells are substandard with less than 15 meters deep contrary to guiding principles of the project. I am sure no prior research and water testing was conducted before drilling,” he said.
The minister instructed district councils to ensure all contractors who drilled the faulty wells redo the task at their own expenses.

“A survey needs to be conducted to establish contractors who performed their duty below standard. When identified the district councils should ensure contractors are held accountable for the faulty work,” he said.
Earlier, in his main question, Bahi legislator (CCM) Omary Badwell asked the government to say when it will implement the 10 village projects funded by the World Bank in connection to drying wells in Bahi constituency.

Dr Mahenge said already the government had started implementing the project and that Bahi district council was finalising the process to hire a contractor to install the water infrastructure in identified villages.

 “Implementation of the first phase is scheduled for Nondwa and Mchito villages and will be completed by the end of the 2012/13 fiscal year,” he said.

The deputy minister detailed further that in-depth analysis will be conducted to establish areas rich in underground water.
He said according to a pre-study carried out at Babayu, Mundemu, Ibhiwa and Nguji found no water.

In another development, the minister called on contractors to fully utilize water basin offices to acquire information on the availability of underground water in a particular area.