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Works Minister Abdallah Ulega has ordered a nationwide inspection of roads, bridges and culverts as the government steps up preparations for heavy El Niño rains expected in different parts of the country.
The directive is aimed at identifying vulnerable infrastructure early and taking corrective measures before heavy rainfall disrupts the movement of people and goods or affects business activities.
Mr Ulega issued the order during a visit to Coast Region to assess the country’s infrastructure preparedness following President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s directive for government agencies to strengthen measures against the potential impact of the rains.
“I direct the Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads) to ensure that all roads and bridges across the country are inspected and immediate measures taken so that the infrastructure continues to provide services even during the expected heavy rains,” Mr Ulega said.
He said the inspections should provide a clear picture of areas requiring urgent intervention, enabling the government to deploy equipment and resources before infrastructure is damaged.
During his visit, the minister inspected emergency equipment and machinery that will be used to carry out urgent repairs on roads and bridges in different parts of the country.
He also directed Tanroads engineers to ensure bridges and culverts are inspected and cleared to allow water to flow freely, while maintaining uninterrupted access along the national road network.
“I urge Tanroads experts to remain ready to respond to this El Niño alert and ensure that bridges and culverts are inspected and cleared to allow water to pass freely, while ensuring that no national road is closed,” he said.
Mr Ulega said having equipment and machinery alone would not be sufficient to deal with the effects of heavy rains, stressing that the preparedness of engineers and other technical personnel would be equally important.
He directed the Ministry of Works, working with Tanroads, to conduct weekly assessments across the country to identify emerging risks and strengthen interventions where necessary.
According to the minister, Tanroads has organised its preparedness operations through various zones, with Coast Region serving as the hub for coordinating the response to the expected rains.
Tanroads Coast Regional Manager, Engineer Joel Mwambungu, said the agency had already procured and distributed emergency materials to different parts of the country to facilitate rapid response.
He said Tanroads had 5,638 metres of steel culverts that could be deployed in areas where roads and bridges are affected by heavy rainfall.
The agency has also prepared seven Mabey steel bridges, stone-carrying baskets and 1,200 metres of plastic culverts, in addition to other steel culverts, as part of its emergency preparedness measures.
The preparations are intended to enable Tanroads to respond quickly to damage caused by heavy rains and minimise disruptions to transport and economic activities.