THE National Irrigation Commission (NIRC) and Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC) have embarked on an initial feasibility study for the construction of six irrigation dams to protect the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project from floods.

With support from the World Bank, the construction of dams will be implemented at Kidete area in Morogoro Region as well as Kimagai, Dabalo, Hombolo, Ikowa and Buigiri areas in Dodoma Region.

Raymond Mndolwa, NIRC Director General, made a preparatory tour of the areas recently accompanied by TRC and NIRC specialists and said that construction of dams will greatly help strengthen safety of the SGR infrastructure.

The experts visited the sites in Dodoma to witness the real situation of the dams prior to commencement of the feasibility study.

The project involves construction of new dams and rehabilitation of the existing ones which are Hombolo and Dabalo dams.

He said apart from harvesting water to prevent flooding along the central railway line, the project also aims to promote irrigation agriculture in the two regions.

“The project will also involve detailed design for development of a multipurpose water utilization programme for the six dams that will include water supply to surrounding communities, fisheries, livestock and irrigation schemes for both livelihood of surrounding communities and large commercial agriculture investments,” he said.

In another development, experts from NIRC have been trained on essential safety skills as well as preparation for construction of the dams as part of initial steps in the implementation of the mega project.

“We want to ensure that the project is efficiently implemented, enabling effective harvesting of rain water to prevent floods in our SGR line,” he added.

The training was offered by experts from WB to enable NIRC experts to consider safety of dams in the initial stages of project implementation in order to avoid possible harm, including deaths and damage to settlements and other infrastructure.

In the training, the experts were taught how to recognize danger indicators on the part of the dams as well as the best way to prepare to reduce or face the possible harm if the dams show any signs of danger.

Implementation of SGR is expected to not only improve passenger travel but also enhance transportation of goods across the country, thereby reducing costs and improving efficiency in the logistics sector. This aligns with Tanzania’s broader economic goals of fostering regional integration and boosting trade within the East African Community.