RC hails Dodoma’s disaster readiness

DODOMA: THE Dodoma Regional Commissioner, Ms Rosemary Senyamule, has commended the Regional Disaster Management Committee for its heightened preparedness ahead of the expected rains in the coming days.

Speaking during a disaster preparedness meeting attended by officials from the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) Dodoma Office, Dodoma City Council Management, TANROADS, TARURA and the Dodoma Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (DUWASA), Ms Senyamule said she was encouraged to see experts entrusted with safeguarding citizens taking proactive measures.

She said current efforts were promising, especially considering that the region experienced flash floods last year after only a single day of heavy downpour.

“Authorities have already briefed us, so projects that can be fast-tracked should be completed. As we said regarding the Machinga area, contractors should expedite the work to avoid recurring incidents,” she emphasised.

The RC further directed agricultural officers to educate farmers on appropriate crops to plant in line with TMA forecasts, which indicate that Dodoma is expected to receive below-average rainfall this season.

TMA’s representative in Dodoma, Mr Shabani Kondo, said rains are expected to begin in the second week of December. He added that Dodoma typically receives between 590 and 650 millimetres of rainfall annually.

Dodoma City Council Director, Mr Fredrick Sagamiko, said the council disseminates TMA reports to ward and street committees to ensure residents receive timely information. He cited frequent flooding as one of the city’s recurring challenges.

He said two new drainage systems have been built at Ilazo with internal revenue and support from the TACTIC project and a water removal project at Nkuhungu ponds valued at 4.58bn/- has been implemented. He added that a tender has also been floated for cleaning and strengthening the banks of River Pombe, which flows towards the regional hospital.

TANROADS Dodoma Acting Manager, Engineer Colman Ramadhani, reported that most of the areas that previously experienced flooding have been addressed. He cited improvements at Morena, where four larger culverts have been installed, and upgrades in Mtanana and Nzali, where a major bridge is now more than 90 per cent complete.

“For all district councils across the region, maintenance works are ongoing, including cleaning drains and inspecting bridges to ensure smooth water flow,” he noted.

TARURA Dodoma Manager, Engineer Edward Lemelo, said works at Ihumwa Bridge which connects Morogoro Road to the SGR station have been completed after years of delay. He added that another bridge behind the SGR station that previously caused disconnection has been rebuilt and is set to open within one to two weeks.

“We are ready. All district managers are on the ground inspecting high-risk areas. We believe we will navigate this season successfully,” he assured.

DUWASA Director of Water Distribution and Sanitation Services, Mr Bernard Rugayi, said many disasters occur in areas with deep gullies where water often washes away plastic pipes. To minimise risks, he said the authority has replaced plastic pipes with steel ones and reinforced them with encorblocks.

Meanwhile, the Regional Disaster Coordinator, Dr Nassor Matuzya, said the region is working with the Disaster Management Department under the Prime Minister’s Office to establish a Communication and Operations Centre. The facility will receive real-time incident reports from across the region and strengthen coordinated emergency response.