WATERAID Tanzania has rehabilitated the Nangwa Water Supply Scheme which serves some 26,690 people within 17 villages in Hanang District, Manyara Region.

The main water source in the district was affected by mudflow that hit the area last December and left 5,600 people without proper social services such as water.

Speaking recently during the project handover, Anna Mzinga, WaterAid Tanzania country director, said that her organisation rehabilitated the water infrastructure system to the tune of t 127m/- and is meant to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in the area.

“Following the crisis that occurred last year, as an organization working towards achieving clean water, sanitation, and hygiene for everyone, this tragedy touched us dearly, hence, the implementation to rehabilitate the water scheme that was destroyed by the mudslides. We hope this project will bear fruit and become sustainable against the effects of climate change,” she said.

According to her, a comprehensive refresher training session that covered the importance of household sanitation improvement as a crucial element of emergency preparedness initiatives was also provided.

Among the beneficiaries of the training include community health workers, village executive officers and ward executive officers from four affected wards namely Dirima, Measkron, Wareta and Nangwa.

Mzinga said it aimed at enhancing sanitation and hygiene practices in communities across four wards, a project that has now been finalized and is already serving communities in Hanang with clean and safe water.

Hanang District experienced intense rainfall-triggered mudslides on December 3, causing a torrent of rocks, logs and a substantial volume of water to cascade from Mount Hanang towards Katesh Township.

Initial assessments revealed that 5,600 people were directly affected by the disaster, particularly in Hanang District. Furthermore, the relentless rains and resulting floods wreaked havoc on 750 acres of diverse crops and killed livestock.