AfDB loans Tanzania $210mln to improve water supply in Arusha

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has loaned Tanzania 210.96 million US dollars to improve water supply in the northern region of Arusha, a senior official said on Wednesday.

The east African nation's Deputy Minister for Water and Irrigation, Isaack Kamwelwe, said the loan will be used to improve water supply services in the region, benefiting all residents.

On Tuesday, Kamwelwe said the government has already secured 268 million US dollars for the construction of a water pipeline from Lake Victoria to the country's central region of Tabora.

He told Parliament in the country's east African nation's political capital Dodoma that the funds released by the AfDB will be used for channeling water to various customers, improving infrastructure for water supply, and improvement and renovation of water sources.

The minister said the funds will also help to improve sewerage systems in the region, adding: "All villages within a 12 kilometre radius from the main water pipeline will benefit from the project,"

He said the government was looking forward to implementing the project during the 2016/17 fiscal year.