MAIMUNA Hussein (26) a Dar es Salaam city resident is living a life of relocating from one place to another in the city due to mushrooming of fuel filling stations which she claims to disturb her respiratory system.

The mother of a son told this journalist early last month that with her husband were forced to relocate to Goba Street in Ubungo district in April this year from Sinza Street in Kinondoni district following the commencement of a petrol filling station construction project next to the house they rented.

Maimuna said that the relocation was the third one from the second in August 2023 when she relocated from Banana Street in Ilala district and the first in March 2023 when she relocated from a rented house at Tabata Bima Street in Ilala district of Dar es Salaam due to construction of new fuel stations nearby the houses she rented.

"I have been trying to get healed from asthma for six years now. I face difficulties in breathing when I smell petrol or diesel. I can't survive places with a heavy smell of petroleum products," she said.

According to her, she always puts her car's air conditioner on for full time fresh air when she is driving to and from her working place at Posta central business district in the city.

“I don’t know until when I will be relocating from one place to another escaping the mushrooming fuel stations. I wonder what the government is doing to control the increment of fuel stations within human residents,” said Maimuna.

She asserted that pollution is taking shape through the establishment of fuel stations within human settlements thus interfering with the right to a healthy environment.

Maimuna’s complaints come at the time when NEMC and officials from land use planning departments in district councils blame each other on the issuance of permits as conflicts of safety and health interests increase between people and the government that seeks to earn handsome revenues in taxes from investors in the petroleum products business.

This journalist has learned that the mushrooming of fuel stations within people’s residence is against Section 4(1) of the Environment Management Act No. 20. 2004 which states: ‘Every person living in Tanzania shall have a right to a clean, safe and healthy environment.’

However, the scenario jeopardizes Section 6 of the same Act which states: ‘Every person living in Tanzania shall have a stake and duty to safeguard and enhance the environment and to inform the relevant authority of any activity and phenomenon that may affect the environment significantly.’

The scenario further goes against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 which emphasizes on access to clean energy supplies and transformation.

Nehemiah Nnko, Medical Doctor at Magu District Hospital in Mwanza region said inhalation of excessive air filled with the smell of fuel can cause throat irritation, stomach ache, and nausea and sometimes leads to vomiting and difficulty breathing.

“If this situation continues for a long time, the person becomes at risk of suffering from diseases of the respiratory system such as TB, Asthma and severe flu,” said Nnko.

Musa Thabiti (24) a bachelor’s degree student at the Institute of Social Work in Dar es Salaam expressed his worries on human lives and property safety with the mushrooming of the petrol filling stations in the city. 

He said that just two months ago, a traditional food restaurant adjacent to the Institute was demolished to pave the way for construction of a new petrol station.

He said the demolition has triggered disturbances for students who used to have their lunch at the restaurant and are now forced to walk to Africasana Street about half a kilometer to get the traditional meal.

“This petrol station has been constructed in a space of two months. As you can see it is very close to the Institution’s buildings; 

I’m just imagining what will happen in case of a fire outbreak. This is not safe anymore. I wonder if the government really cares about environmental issues?” said Thabiti while pointing at the new petrol station.

The writer has learned that the prevailing scenario blamed by Thabiti contradicts the Petroleum (Retail Operations) Rules 2012 made under Section 5(3) of the Petroleum Act Cap 392, as administered by the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA).

Rule 6(2) states that the authority shall, while making a decision whether to grant or deny a construction approval, consider the following: (a) applicant’s compliance with license application obligations; (b) applicant’s compliance to land use laws; and (c) applicant’s compliance to health, safety and environmental requirements.

According to the environment Act 2004, the minister of State in the Vice President’s Office (Union and Environment) has powers to issue the Environment Impact Assessment Certificates for development of petrol station projects after the investor had obtained the change of land use permit from the respective district council.

Speaking to this reporter late April this year, Titus Kaguo, EWURA’s Public Relations Manager said that the authority issues projects development licenses after investors had gone through all procedures at the district councils and the NEMC.

Jamal Baruti, NEMC Manager for Review of Environmental and Social Impact Assessment said that district councils have been ignoring NEMC in the process of issuing change of land use permits and title deeds to investors seeking to establish fuel stations.

On the other hand, Aquilinus Shiduki, Head of Communication at Kinondoni Municipal Council said that for Kinondoni, all procedures are observed before the change of land use permit issuance.

Shiduki said the municipal office has been working hand in hand with NEMC to ensure that environmental laws are observed in setting up petrol station projects.

According to the latest EWURA’s report as of March this year 2,522 petrol and diesel fuel stations were licensed countrywide to run fuel businesses up from 2,297 in March 2023 an increment of 9.8 percent.

The report shows that of the total fuel stations, 434 are in rural areas increasing from 287 (51.22 percent) in March 2023.

The report states that through the Bulk Procurement System (BPS) by the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) 6.28 billion liters of petroleum products were imported into the country between July 2023 and March 2024.

Of the imported petroleum products, diesel accounted for 3.77 billion liters, petrol 2.29 billion liters while Jet A-1 or Kerosene accounted for 224 million liters.

However, of the 6.28 billion liters, 3.37 billion liters (53.7 percent) were destined for the domestic market while the remaining was for transit to landlocked countries.

EWURA states that there are 75 OMCs of which 18 are pre-qualified in the bidding process through BPS where only five are active and effective in the bidding process.

Joshua Kweka (34) Mwanjelwa resident in Mbeya city told this journalist that he remembers the government had halted issuance of permits for construction of fuel stations in 2022.

“I wonder when the government resumed the issuance of the permits without thorough screening. Petrol stations are flooding the streets;

My house is next to a fuel station and I have no other option but to stay though I’m worried of possible fire incidents outbreaks,” said Kweka.

On November 10, 2022 the government suspended the issuance of filling stations construction permits for the period of three months to January 2023.

The government also suspended issuance of residential houses building permits to owners of plots or pieces of land, who didn’t match the city, municipality and town councils’ plans.

The then minister for Land, Housing and Human Settlement Development, Dr Angeline Mabula said that the decision targeted to improve the planning process and better manage urban growth moving forward.

She also said that the decision aimed at ensuring city; town and councils’ master plans are observed.

Anastasia Masare (27) resident of Kwa Mrombo Street in Arusha city was of the view that far from safety and health risks posed by fuel filling stations in people’s residence, tankers have been destructing street roads most of them are meant not to be used by vehicles with the weight that exceeds ten tons.

“Roads don’t last longer and are being regularly repaired in this neighborhood because heavy long vehicles on transit stop by for filling fuels,” said Masare.