Residents of Somanga
area in Kilwa district, Lindi
region have received the Songosongo gas pipeline
project which passes through their village with dismay and horror due to lack
of compensation.
The multi-million dollar project in
southern Tanzania designed to extract natural gas from the Songosongo
area in Mtwara and transport it to Dar es Salaam, has affected more than 40 villages including Somanga village.
In an interview with Mirror Digest
yesterday, the residents said that since they were displaced, to leave space
for the project, it is more than one year without knowing their fate and they
don’t even know how much they would be paid as compensations.
As a result they said the project has
crippled them economically as they can no longer farm or engage in any
agricultural activities because the farming land is
now part of the project.
Somanga village Executive Officer Ashiraka
Ndembo said that it was disappointing, because many
villagers depended on agriculture, but their farms were taken by the project,
and were asking for compensations for more than one year but in vain.
“This project passes through cashew nut
farms, we were told to stop farming, evaluation was conducted by Land officers,
the residents were told that they would be compensated, but surprisingly, they
have never done so” he said.
For his part, the Chairman of Somanga village, Athman Abdulhaman Mkwembya told the
Mirror Digest that he faced hard times from villagers who normally asks him about their
compensations but without answers.
“Somanga
village is one of the villagers affected most by the project, the people are
accusing us saying we are not doing enough to get their money paid” he said.
The large majority of inhabitants of Somanga and nearby villages are also worried especially
those living near the source of natural gas and along the pipeline saying they
might be subjected to environmental and health risks as they have never been
told how the risks would be well managed.
Ends.
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