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Tanga City for Squatter upgrading programme
2006-08-31 07:47:56
By George Sembony
Upgrading squatter areas has not been a peaceful affair in most of urban areas in the developing world. It has always been a challenge and a cause of headaches in the urban management.
However, Tanga City Council through the Sustainable Tanga Programme –Danida Support Project is in the process of changing the story using the participatory method to do it, PST Correspondent George Sembony reports….
When the Sustainable Tanga Programme (STP) formulated its working groups, the first challenge that emerged was how to cope with the growing problem of unplanned settlements, otherwise known as squatters that were springing up in the Tanga City.
Improvement of the Squatter areas became the theme of the first of the 10 working groups formed at the First Consultation Meeting of the STP.
Coincidentally, it was also one of the six given priority for development and support by the programme’s donor- the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).
Squatter upgrading has not always been a peaceful affair in most urban areas of the developing world, but the Tanga City Council has made a remarkable progress in its Squatter Upgrading Programme implemented under the STP –Danida Support Project. Over 3,000 plots in several squatter areas of the city have been surveyed under the project.
Involvement of the people has been a cornerstone of STP’s policy and its activities and in attempt to make the exercise people centered, Squatter Upgrading Committees were formed to coordinate upgrading activities at the local level.
According to a Progress Report issued by the STP recently, the recipients themselves contributed the costs of the preliminary survey of the plots.
’’So far the people have contributed over 6 million for the survey of the plots,” the report quoted the STP Coordinator, Venance Ngeleuya as saying.
He explained that 640 plots were surveyed at Kwanjeka Nyota squatter area while another 230 were surveyed at Kwanjeka Majengo area.
Other areas where the upgrading programme was implemented were Usagara (125 plots), Makorora (240), Magaoni (400), Gezaulole (450) and Duga (1,094).
Speaking on compensation, the report said the people themselves would deal with the question through Squatter Upgrading Committees.
According to the Coordinator, formation of the committees is an implementation of the short-term goal of the STP, which aims at enabling the Tanga City Council to improve the City environment in cooperation with various stakeholders by last year.
’’STP policy is to encourage participation of stakeholders in project planning and implementation, ’’Ngeleuya said in the report.
Use of the participatory method is the essence of Local Government Reforms and fortunately the element of participation is well emphasized by the City Council and most of the development programmes that have been (or are still being) implemented in the city.
The programmes apart from the STP include the Tanga Coastal zone Conservation and Development Programme.
Organizations that have been involved in the development activities in Tanga City Council include Ireland Aid, the World Conservation Union, DANIDA, the World Bank and many others, all of which have been emphasizing on participatory approaches to development.
A number of projects are being implemented under the six Working Groups formed at the start of the project.
The projects are all directed at improving the city’s environment.
They include construction of water drainage canals, expansion of water services, construction of school Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrines, Solid and Liquid Waste Management, cleaner and safe Industrial Production.
The project has contributed over Tshs. 800 million in the projects while the people have contributed over 80 million in the projects.
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