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Piped water for Lengasti villagers now reality
2006-09-26 08:46:40
By Guardian Reporter
The US Embassy handed over the Lengasti village water project in Simanjiro District late last week in a ceremony presided over by the Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Purnell Delly.
The project was funded by the America’s Department of Defence, Humanitarian Assistance Programme, according to a statement from the embassy.
’’This is one of the embassy’s biggest water projects in Tanzania worth 313.5m/-,’’ says the statement.
The project will provide water to over 6,000 villagers and 16,000 livestock, using a system of pumps, pipes, and storage tanks.
Lengasti water project consists of a horse pump drawing water from natural underground springs with a booster pump station halfway down the 20 kilometre pipeline.
There are two pump station attendants’, offices with six water points and two 90,000 litre storage tanks.
’’That’s a lot of water. There are also three long cattle troughs to make sure the cows also get enough water, too,’’ Delly said in the statement.
He said that before the project, women of Lengasti spent over 10 hours each day drawing water from a distance 24 kilometres far.
’’I would like to make a special note of the females amongst you. I know that women, and girls regardless of age, are the principal water drawers and carriers.
I take special pleasure in inaugurating this water system today noting that it will ease the burden of this especially hard working group.
May you use it and maintain it well, with the best wishes from the American people and, in particular, from the US Department of Defence,’’ Delly told the gathering at the ceremony as quoted by the statement.
The water system has been built in an area that is known for its water problem.
It is bound to improve agricultural production, alleviate poverty and improve health of the villagers. World Vision Tanzania was the implementing partners of the water project.
At the ceremony, the government was represented by Manyara Regional Commissioner Col (rtd) Anatory Tarimo and Simanjiro District Commissioner Khalid Mandia.
World Vision, National Director Getachew Michael, World Vision Zonal Director Mashimba Ndaki and Lengasti Village Chairman Maningo Kutatoi also attended the ceremony.
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