The construction and maintenance of roads and bridges by the Rural and Urban Roads Agency (TARURA) in Babati District are set to enhance tourism activities in the area.
Babati District Commissioner, Emmanuella Kaganda, shared this update during a recent interview with journalists at her office in Manyara Region.
Kaganda explained that the expansion of the road network has opened up tourism access to Tarangire and Manyara National Parks, cultural sites, Lake Manyara, and surrounding mountainous regions where residents participate in tourism activities.
She noted that Babati is experiencing significant development, with the road network now reaching 1,548.792 kilometers, including 595.102 km in Babati Town and 953.69 km under the Babati District Council.
Kaganda commended the Sixth Phase Government for its efforts, emphasizing that President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan has continued to allocate funds to invest in infrastructure, which is transforming the area.
For the 2024/2025 fiscal year, TARURA in Babati District plans to allocate over 4.9 billion shillings for road grading, gravel road construction, and bridge and culvert projects.
Over the past three years, Babati District has received a total of 12 billion shillings to strengthen its road network, a major increase from the previous 1 billion shillings, which Kaganda highlighted as a testament to the government's commitment to development in the district.
In addition to these efforts, Kaganda mentioned plans to install 90 streetlights along the road leading to Mrara District Hospital to enhance residents' safety when accessing services at night.
She encouraged residents to maintain the new infrastructure by refraining from farming along roadsides and preventing soil erosion by not using animal-drawn plows along the roads.
Kaganda also urged residents to clear drainage ditches near their homes, avoid littering, and maintain water channels, especially during the rainy season, to reduce the risk of flooding and prevent diseases associated with poor sanitation.
Mr. Hamis Rajabu, a resident of Mrara Ward, expressed his gratitude for the new bridges built along the connecting road between urban and rural Babati. He noted that these bridges have resolved many challenges that residents previously faced, particularly during the rainy season when vehicles and other forms of transportation struggled to pass.
