For food and water, scientists will tell you, if one stops taking both, the human body will survive for 3 to 5 days. Studies indicate that one may survive for three weeks or so if one is drinking water only. But when we have plenty, we take them for granted.
At the moment, in Dar es Salaam, we are facing a severe water shortage; yes, every living organism depends on this precious resource for survival. The city relies on piped water, and the precious liquid has been rationed in some areas, with people missing for three weeks or more.
At least we live in an age where we have bottled water for those who can afford to buy it-at least for drinking. Clean water trading companies are doing great business now, while majority people are left without a choice but to buy water for drinking. For other uses like washing clothes and cleaning, we buy water in the streets from boreholes we even don’t know about their safety and cleanliness. In Dar es Salaam, boreholes are often not far from pit latrines or sewers run nearby in densely populated areas.
Some individuals don’t care; they will even sell water that they are sure is mixed with sewerage. To make it worse, some families are impoverished and cannot afford bottled water for cooking or drinking. So they exclusively depend on water from unlicensed street vendors, whose safety is not guaranteed, for lack of a choice.
Since I came to Dar es Salaam City almost two decades ago, I had never experienced such seriousness of water shortage as now. Imagine the cost of buying water to a family with more than five people going for consecutive weeks without such a precious liquid!
Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage Authority (DAWASA) has reported that its primary source, the Ruvu River, was experiencing a low water level. Initially, the authority publicly declared rationing, but the situation is now at its worst. In some areas like where I stay, it’s no longer rationing, there has been no tap water at all for weeks. In the past years, when there was rationing, at least we would get water once or twice a week.
DAWASA had indicated the rationing would not be severe, but the reality is that regular water supply has become a huge problem! Hopefully, it does not bring a health crisis. At least for regulated bottled water businesses, we are assured of safety. But for the water from dubious sources, including those close to sewers, there may be a spike of diseases like cholera, and diarrhea, among others.
Yes, water shortage is a result of climate change, which directly affects water resources. This is because high temperature associated with climate change causes shifts in rainfall (droughts) and water levels. The situation is worse because different water sources, such as rivers, have dried up or have dramatically low levels.
If human beings want to save mother earth, we must mitigate climate change by reducing the flow of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Secondly, we have to adapt to climate change. So for Dar es Salaam, should we start ‘cleaning’ (desalination) ocean water for domestic consumption, like the way some Middle East nations are doing?
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Air Tanzania Banned From EU Airspace Due to Safety Concerns
Several airports have since locked Air Tanzania, dealing a severe blow to the Tanzanian national carrier that must now work overtime to regain its certification or go the wet lease way
The European Commission has announced the inclusion of Air Tanzania on the EU Air Safety List, effectively banning the airline from operating in European airspace.
The decision, made public on December 16, 2024, is based on safety concerns identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which also led to the denial of Air Tanzania’s application for a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation.
The Commission did not go into the specifics of the safety infringement but industry experts suggest it is possible that the airline could have flown its Airbus A220 well past its scheduled major checks, thus violating the airworthiness directives.
“The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards for passengers in Europe and worldwide,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
“We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift and decisive action to address these safety issues. I have offered the Commission’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities in enhancing Air Tanzania’s safety performance and achieving full compliance with international aviation standards.”
Air Tanzania has a mixed fleet of modern aircraft types including Boeing 787s, 737 Max jets, and Airbus A220s.
It has been flying the B787 Dreamliner to European destinations like Frankfurt in Germany and Athens in Greece and was looking to add London to its growing list with the A220.
But the ban not only scuppers the London dream but also has seen immediate ripple effect, with several airports – including regional like Kigali and continental – locking out Air Tanzania.
Tanzania operates KLM alongside the national carrier.
The European Commission said Air Tanzania may be permitted to exercise traffic rights by using wet-leased aircraft of an air carrier which is not subject to an operating ban, provided that the relevant safety standards are complied with.
A wet lease is where an airline pays to use an aircraft with a crew, fuel, and insurance all provided by the leasing company at a fee.
Two more to the list
The EU Air Safety List, maintained to ensure passenger safety, is updated periodically based on recommendations from the EU Air Safety Committee.
The latest revision, which followed a meeting of aviation safety experts in Brussels from November 19 to 21, 2024, now includes 129 airlines.
Of these, 100 are certified in 15 states where aviation oversight is deemed insufficient, and 29 are individual airlines with significant safety deficiencies.
Alongside Air Tanzania, other banned carriers include Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), and Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran).
Commenting on the broader implications of the list, Tzitzikostas stated, “Our priority remains the safety of every traveler who relies on air transport. We urge all affected airlines to take these bans seriously and work collaboratively with international bodies to resolve the identified issues.”
In a positive development, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been cleared to resume operations in the EU following a four-year suspension. The ban, which began in 2020, was lifted after substantial improvements in safety performance and oversight by PIA and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
“Since the TCO Authorisation was suspended, PIA and PCAA have made remarkable progress in enhancing safety standards,” noted Tzitzikostas. “This demonstrates that safety issues can be resolved through determination and cooperation.”
Another Pakistani airline, Airblue Limited, has also received EASA’s TCO authorisation.
Decisions to include or exclude airlines from the EU Air Safety List are based on rigorous evaluations of international safety standards, particularly those established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
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The process involves thorough review and consultation among EU Member State aviation safety experts, with oversight from the European Commission and support from EASA.
“Where an airline currently on the list believes it complies with the required safety standards, it can request a reassessment,” explained Tzitzikostas. “Our goal is not to penalize but to ensure safety compliance globally.”
Airlines listed on the EU Air Safety List face significant challenges to their international operations, as the bans highlight shortcomings in safety oversight by their home regulatory authorities.
For Air Tanzania, this inclusion signals an urgent need for reform within Tanzania’s aviation sector to address these deficiencies and align with global standards.
The path forward will require immediate and sustained efforts to rectify safety concerns and regain access to one of the world’s most critical aviation markets.
Source: allafrica.com
Insecurity prompts Zanzibar to review its lucrative island leasing
The Tanzanian central government is planning to boost its security presence in the Zanzibar archipelago. A commission tasked with auditing the country’s security forces was appointed in July by President Samia Suluhu Hassan. It says it is concerned about the situation in the country’s Indian Ocean islands that are under the control of the semi-autonomous Zanzibar local government.Continue Reading
MGAO WA MAJI WAWATESA WAZANZIBARI
Wananchi wengi hasa katika maeneo ya Mjini Unguja, wanalalamikia ukosefu wa maji safi na salama huku Mamlaka ya Maji Zanzibar ikikabiliwa na changamoto ya ukosefu wa ujuzi na wataalam katika masuala ya uandisi wa Maji na fani nyengine.Continue Reading
