Alfred Lasteck, Nafasi,BBC
Serikali ya Tanzania imesema kuna baadhi ya viongozi nchini humo kwa maslahi yao binafsi wanachangia katika uharibifu wa mazingira ikiwemo vyanzo vya maji na kupelekea mito kukauka.
Aidha imeelezwa kuwa familia 12 ya viongozi wakiwemo mawaziri, wanasiasa na majaji wanatuhumiwa kuhusika katika uharibifu katika vyanzo vya maji vya Mto Ruaha Mkuu uliopo katika ukanda wa nyanda za juu kusini mwa Tanzania.
Kauli hiyo ya serikali iitolewa jana mkoani Iringa na Makamu wa Rais wa Tanzania, Dkt Philip Mpango alipohudhuria Kongamano la Wahariri na Wadau wa Uhifadhi, Mazingira na Utunzaji wa Vyanzo vya Maji.
Dkt Mpango alisema, “Wapo baadhi ya viongozi kwa maslahi binafsi, wanachangia sana kwenye uharibifu wa mazingira. Siamini wakulima wetu masikini, wafugaji kwamba ndio wanaoharibu mazingira. Lazima tunusuru mito yetu yote hasa mito ya kimkakati kama Ruaha, viongozi wa namna hii hawatufai.”
Aliongeza, “Mimi najiuliza kule hifadhi wale ng’ombe zaidi ya 3,000 ni wa mfugaji masikini au yale ‘macombine harvest’ makubwa ni ya wakulima wale ninaowafahamu mimi?,” Alisema na kuongeza kuwa kutokana na uharibifu huo, “mazingira sasa yanalipa kisasi na tumeanza kulipa jeuri yetu.”
Wanahabari wafanya uchunguzi
Katika kongamano hilo, Mwenyekiti wa Jukwaa la Wahariri Tanzania (TEF), Deodatus Balile, ameishauri serikali kuchukua hatua ya kuiondoa Ranchi ya Usangu ambayo ipo ndani ya bonde oevu linalolisha maji Mto Ruaha Mkuu sambamba na kujenga tuta eneo la Ngiliamu ili kuunusuru mto na ukame.
“Sisi tunafanya habari za uchunguzi na tumebaini Ranchi ya Usangu inamilikiwa na familia 12, wamo majaji, wamo wabunge, wamo mawaziri na nitakukabidhi majina ili hatua stahiki zichukuliwe kwa maslahi ya Taifa,” alisema Balile ambaye pia ni mwandishi mwandamizi wa Habari za uchunguzi.
Wanaharakati wataka hatua kuchukuliwa
Wanaharakati wa Mazingira nao wanataja kuwa hatua za haraka zinahitajika ili kunusuru vyanzo vya maji na mazingira.
Habib Mchange ambaye ni Mwanaharakati wa Mazingira aliiambia BBC kuwa hatua za haraka zinahitajika na kwamba hawata kaa kimya wakiona mazingira yanaharibika.
Mchange amesema, ni zaidi ya siku 130 Mto Ruaha hautiririshi maji.
“Leo Mto Ruaha Mkuu una zaidi ya siku 130 bila kutiririsha maji, na ukienda hifadhini utasikitika kuona viboko wanagombania mchanga na si maji kutokana na uharibifu wa mazingira,” anaeleza Mchange.
Mchange anasema kupitia ripoti ya mazingira za Taifa, asilimia 16 ya ardhi ya Tanzania ni jangwa huku asilimia 63 ikiwa imeharibiwa.
Anaeleza, kuwa sio mto Ruaha pekee inayokumbana na changamoto hizo bali hata mto malagarasi, Ruvu, Ruvuma na mingine mingi inapitia hali hiyo na kwamba kama hatua za haraka hazitachukuliwa hali itazidi kuwa mbaya zaidi.
Nini kimesababisha mto Ruaha kukauka?
Mto Ruaha Mkuu umekauka kutokana na vyanzo vyake kwa maana ya Bonde la Ihefu na Usangu kuwa vimeharibiwa.
Wahifadhi wanaeleza kuwa shughuli za kibinadamu kama kilimo na ufugaji ndio chanzo kwa ardhi katika bonde hilo hilo kuharibika.
Wanasema uchepushaji mkubwa wa maji umepelekea kukauka kwa Mto Ruaha Mkuu ambao unaotegemewa ndani ya Hifadhi ya Taifa ya Ruaha na n ahata katika kuzalisha umeme kwenye mabwawa ikiwamo Mtera, Kidatu na Mwalimu Nyerere (mradi mkubwa zaidi wa umeme nchini Tanzania).
Uharibifu ni mkubwa kiasi gani?
Kamishna Msaidizi wa Uhifadhi na Mkuu wa Hifadhi ya Taifa Ruaha, Godwell Ole Meing’ataki anasema Mto Ruaha ulikuwa unataririsha maji mwaka mzima hapo zamani, lakini kuanzia miaka ya 90 ukaanza kuonesha dalili ya kukauka.
“Uhai wa taifa unategemea uwepo wa Mto Ruaha. Ihefu ni chanzo cha Mto Ruaha Mkuu, miaka ya 90 hadi sasa ukubwa wa eneo la Ihefu linasinyaa na kushindwa kukusanya maji kwa ajili ya Mto Ruaha Mkuu, na namna linavyozidi kusinyaa Mto Ruaha Mkuu unaathiriwa,” Kamishna huyo aliileza BBC na kuongeza; “Mwaka 1985 kulikuwa na hekta 14,000 za kilimo cha umwagiliaji katika bonde la Ihefu, mwaka 1998 hekta za kilimo cha umwagiliaji zilifika 24,000, mwaka 2013 zilifika hekta 115,000, maji yanaelekezwa zaidi katika mashamba. Tunavyozungumza Ruaha umekauka ni zaidi ya siku 130 mto hautoi maji japo kuna mvua ndogo imepita.”
Ni hatua gani zinachukuliwa na serikali ya Tanzania?
Makamu wa Rais, Dkt Philip Mpango alisema yeye alipojitosa katika vita alijuwa si vita rahisi, lakini alidhamiria kuishinda vita hiyo.
Alisema, “Hayo majina ya familia 12 yaliyotajwa nitaomba nikabidhiwe na kwa kuwa nchi hii inaendeshwa kwa haki na sheria, tutaenda kuyafanyia kazi ili kutoa haki.”
Pia aliagiza watendaji wa mabonde ya maji nchini kuanza kuchukua hatua dhidi ya wale wote waliovamia maeneo ya uhifadhi wakiwamo waliojenga kuta katika kingo za maji za Mto Ruaha Mkuu. Sambamba aliagiza kufikishiwa vibali vyote vya wale wanaofanya shughuli kwenye bonde hilo.
Pamoja na yote pia liagiza apelekewe tathmini ya matumizi ya ardhi ambayo aliiagiza ili kukabiliana na athari za uharibifu wa mazingira nchini.
Aidha, aliagiza kukamilishwa haraka kwa kazi ya kuweka mipaka ya Ruaha.
Mto Ruaha una umuhimu gani kwa Tanzania?
Mto huo wenye urefu wa kilomita 475 unaanzia katika Mlima Kipengere wilayani Makete mkoani Njombe, ukimwaga maji katika ardhi oevu ya Usangu wilayani Mbarali mkoani Mbeya kupitia Runapa hadi katika Mto Rufiji.
Mto huu unachangia asilimia 22 ya maji ya Bonde la Rufiji ukiwa na zaidi ya aina 39 za samaki na viumbe wengine waishio majini wakiwemo mamba na viboko.
Mtu huu ni muhimu kwani ndio unaipa uhai ikolojia ya hifadhi ya Ruaha sambamba na kuwa chanzo cha uzalishaji umeme kwenye mabwawa ya Mtera, Kidatu na Mwalimu Nyerere.
Kwa mantiki hiyo, kukauka kwa mto huo, utahathiri pato la taifa la utalii kutokana na hifadhi ya Ruaha kutokuwa na uhifadhi dhabiti.
Pia utahathiri ukuaji wa uchumi wa mtu mmoja mmoja na ule wa taifa kutokana na kukusekana kwa umeme wa uhakika kwani shughuli nyingi za kiuchumi zinategemea nishati hiyo itokanayo na maji.
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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