From LEONARD MWAKALEBELA in Dodoma, 2nd July 2010 Daily News
A RARE species of snails have delayed a multi-billion power project at River Malagarasi in Kigoma Region. The Minister for Energy and Minerals, Mr William Ngeleja, informed the National Assembly on Friday that the snails were discovered after completion of feasibility study on the 8-megawatt project in March this year.
He observed that the project cannot proceed due to environmental concerns.
"However, financers of the project --Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) have agreed to sponsor a fresh feasibility study in another area of the river (Igamba III) to implement the project by producing power from the river's waterfalls", the minister stated.
This will be bad news for residents of Kigoma who have been experiencing power shortage for years and electricity for River Malagarasi waterfalls could have been a panacea.
The discovery of the snails at the waterfalls reminds Tanzanians of the discovery of spray toads at Kihansi, which delayed the Kihansi hydro-electric power project a couple of years ago. The minister was presenting government's report on implementation of various projects under sponsorship of MCC, African Development Bank (AfDB) and Rural Energy Agency (REA).
Mr Ngeleja told the House that REA was going to implement power projects in 16 regions that will subsequently enable TANESCO to connect 20,000 new customers, at a cost of over 98.4bn/-. The regions are Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Manyara, Tanga, Coast, Morogoro, Dodoma, Singida, Mbeya, Rukwa, Tabora, Kigoma, Kagera, Mwanza, Mara and Shinyanga.
"Agreement contract for rehabilitation and expansion of power transmission lines in Mbeya, Iringa, Dodoma, Morogoro, Mwanza and Tanga will be signed by the end of this month. The process to get a consultant for another project, which is being sponsored by AfDB at the cost of 60bn/-, is in its final stages," the minister stated.
It will involve Mwanza, Shinyanga, Dar es Salaam and Arusha regions. He explained that the government was engaged in discussions with Sweden on the implementation of the 13-2KV Makambako-Songea power project, to cost 85bn/-. Upon its completion, 30,000 new customers will be connected.
Mr Ngeleja said that REA was considering plan to distribute power in Mtwara and Lindi villages from natural gas produced at Mnazi Bay in Mtwara Region. He also said that Kilwa District would get electricity from the Songosongo natural gas reserve by this month while Liwale District will get its power from heavy/furnace oil.
"Construction of power projects at Magindu and Mbwewe villages in Bagamoyo District under sponsorship of the government at a cost of 2.8bn/- has started," Mr Ngeleja said.
According to him, power project in Longido district, at a cost of 1.4bn/- will take seven months from now and will connect 291 new customers. The minister added that implementation of power project in Kishapu District at a cost of over 342.7m/-had started and that construction of a submarine cable from Dar es Salaam to Unguja will be accomplished by August, 2012.
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