NEMC Challenged To Streer Efforts To Protect Ruaha River From Environmental Degradation -

By STAFF REPORTER

THE National Environment Management Council (NEMC) has been challenged to streighten its program and efforts in protecting the Great Ruaha River (GRR) from all forms of environmental and water dilapidation.

The environmentally-friend advise which focus to ensure the Iringa- based prominent river which gives lifeline to millions of people in the three regions which its waters flows through continue to stand as a key water sources has been aired by the Iringa Regional Administrative Secretary (RAS) Eng. Leonard Masanja.

The Great Ruaha River is a river in South-Central Tanzania that flows through the Usangu wetlands and the Ruaha National Park East into the Rufiji River.

It traverses and marks the borders between Iringa Region, Dodoma Region and Morogoro Region. The Great Ruaha river has a basin catchment area of 83,970 square kilometres (32,421 sq m).

Eng. Masanja made the call during his meeting with a special delegate from NEMC’s officials from the Central Zone Region who paid a courtesy call at his office over the weekend.

Iringa region is currently served by NEMC Central Region instead of the Southern Highlands Region as it was previously.

“The preservation of water sources, including the Ruaha River that passes through the zoo, is an area that needs to be looked at with a very special eye,”he said.

During the meeting, Eng. Masanja raised a grave concern over the growing spate of destruction of water bodies within the region, asked NEMC to stand at a forefront to help preserve the vital water catchments for the development of an array of socioeconomic activities in the region.

“The region has been endowed with the various sources of water but due to the emerging drought people are invading the water sources the situation which calls for jointly intervention before things went out of hand,” he insisted.

He asked NEMC to help monitoring the effective reinforcement of the relevant laws, over protection of water sources, the regulations which among others prohibiting human activities within 60 meters from water sources.

For his part, the Regional Environmental Officer, Dr. Golyama Bahat expressed that in this year of 2023, Iringa region has successfully managed to plant a total of 35 million trees, being efforts to improve the general environment of the region.

NEMC officials were in Iringa Region for at least five days for visiting the environmental stakeholders as well as provide education on environmental conservation management.