Serikali yetu imeamka na imegundua kuwa haina budi kuanza kujenga barabara nzuri kwenye mikoa mbalimbali nchini. Kama una kumbukumbu nzuri, juhudi hizi zilianza kwa kujenga daraja ambalo lilitakiwa kuunganisha Tanzania na Msumbiji — tunajua matokeo yake.
Wakati tunajua fika kuwa barabara nyingi nchini ni mbovu kupita kiasi, na ambazo zinajengwa huonekana kama zinachukua miaka kukamilika, tuzungumzie mpango wa kujenga barabara itakayokuwa inaunganisha Arusha na Musoma; takribani kilomita 480 za barabara ya lami.
Ndio, kama ulivyoona hapo juu, barabara hii itakuwa inakatiza kwenye mbuga ya wanyama ya Serengeti.
Napenda kuwakumbusha wahusika kuwa kuna watu ambao kama wangekuwa na uwezo wa kupigana vita na kuichukua hii mbuga, wangeshaichukua kabla ya mimi na wewe hata hatujaona mwanga wa jua. Watanzania na Wakenya, hii mbuga ina thamani kuliko tunavyofikiria. Wapi kwengine utaona idadi kubwa ya nyumbu na pundamilia wakihama kutokana na mabadiliko ya majira?
Sasa, nitajaribu kuweka hisia pembeni na kuuliza wahusika maswali ya msingi ili tufahamu kama wanajua wanachofanya:
- Wamesema kuwa wamefanya feasibility study na matokeo yake ni kwamba barabara hii haitaathiri uhamaji wa nyumbu na pundamilia. Tungeomba basi tuone hiyo ripoti na watueleze njia walizotumia kufikia hitimisho na ukubali wa kujenga hiyo barabara. Kama ni simulation programs, watupe basi na sisi tujaribu kuangalia kama kuna ukweli wowote.
- Mpaka sasa hivi sidhani kuna mtu ambaye ana kiburi cha kusema anajua tabia za wanyama (kila kitu). Hizi documentary films tunazoona zinatupa tu mwangaza wa tabia za wanyama. Sasa, sielewi kwanini wanaongea kama wanajua kila tabia za nyumbu na pundamilia.
- Watu wa Tanapa wanadai hii barabara itasaidia kukwamua wakazi wa Arusha na Musoma kiuchumi au kibiashara. Sawa. Lakini faida za hii barabara ni kubwa kuliko athari za aina yoyote ile zitakazoweza kuletwa na hii barabara? Tungependa kuona namba na taarifa kamili.
- Nchi za Magharibi zimeanza kupika kelele (na mimi nawaunga mkono); sasa wakianza kugoma kuja Serengeti kutokana na hili sakata itakuwaje? Mara ya mwisho nadhani nilisikia kuwa chanzo kikubwa cha mapato Tanzania ni utalii. Kuna uwezekano mkubwa kuwa huu mpango ukiendelea, idadi ya watalii inaweza ikapungua kwa kasi ya ajabu…
Ukiacha haya yote, ukimya wa Watanzania kwenye hili suala ni kitu kinachosikitisha sana kusema ukweli. Yaani watu wa Magharibi ndio wanaongoza kwa kupiga kelele. Hivi, tunadhani juhudi au kelele zao ni upumbavu tu au hatujui faida za mbuga kama ya Serengeti? Tuwaache viongozi wetu wafanye wanachotaka kwasababu watu wa Magharibi wanatuletea ukoloni mamboleo?
Nitaishia hapa kwa leo.
Oooh, kabla sijasahau. Lile bonde na Ngorongoro nalo ni kero. Itakuwa jambo la busara wakijenga overpass kuunganisha Ziwa Natron na Ziwa Magadi.
Ripoti kuhusu hili suala:
African Wildlife Foundation Report
Frankfurt Zoological Society Report
An English article can be found on The East African website. Join the group “Stop the Serengeti Highway” on facebook and go to the Change.org website and sign the petition. Lastly but not least, read Ms. Olivia Judson’s article about the plan (to build the highway).
This will be the most outrageous plan ever to be implemented by a Tanzanian government, among countless others. I doubt if the masses in TZ know about this plan. Well, if they know, I wonder if they even know about the mass migration of wildebeast population that nature lovers cherish. We need people to wake up and actively oppose this ridiculous plan.
Hawa watu hawako serious. Niko tayari kuukana uraia wangu nihamie Msumbiji kama watatengeneza hii barabara.
Sad in deed if this goes through
Cha kufanya ni kuelemishana na kujaribu kusambaza hizi habari/taarifa. Wanaharakati wamerahisisha kazi — tunachotakiwa kufanya ni kutia sahihi kwenye hiyo petition tu (zikifika sahihi 5000 watakuwa na argument).
Ni matumaini yangu kuwa hii barabara haitajengwa.
Lakini nashindwa kuelewa ndugu zangu; hatujui haya mambo au hatutaki kujua? Kunyamaza tu kama hivi ndio kunakowapa mwanya watu kufanya makosa au maamuzi kama haya bila kukumbuka/kujali umma na mazingira. (Kwasababu wanajua labda hatuna upeo wa kujua au kufuatilia mambo kama haya.)
Tujaribu hata kupiga kelele tu!
tatizo Watanzania waoga kusema ukweli,sijui lini tutakuwa kama wenzetu Wakenya.
1. Most of Tanzanians are sleeping lions and by the time we come to realize its too late.
2. 10% will kill us and destroy all our natural resources which we have.
Eweee Mwl J.K Nyerere ungekuwa hai haya mambo yote yasingetokea..
It’s a catch twenty two. Parks and reserves around the world had and they are still part of revolution to the community living around the parks in this case Mara, Arusha, Ngorongoro and Manyara. These people deserves this development of infrustructure to advance their living hence to deny them the road will be also reminding them that for whom they sacrifice it doesn’t matter and those who has benefited will again dictate their destiny. The few who benefited and those who are still benefiting wants to have a say. With Unesco help nothing tangible has gone to the communities if not only to be told to move further out.Our parks receive low number of tourists compares to those we know around the world all by the name of conserving.Aren’t there any alternative which could help the economy of this area if we want to stop this project taking off?Why we freeze our mind by looking for only one alternative?Can the the project supporters think of the overpass should this project get a go ahead which I do not see a reason why.Some of the international organisations are using project like this just to give advantages to competetors and not helping the people who had kept what we see now for generations.A number of tourists to Serengeti is low compared to Masai Mara even though it is just a small portion of the entire microcosm.Make these parks easily accessible we will increase the number.Logistics to and Serengeti/Manyara/Ngorongoro I can call it weird should Change now we also need domestic tourism as well as drive through tourists and short timers.We can have one or two days visitors which has prooved to be too expensive todate.The dream of world heritage is just a dream if locals do not see what comes from what they have protected for generations.
Valid points, Onlooker. Lakini nadhani sina budi kuweka mambo sawa, kwasababu angalau nimeperuzi ripoti za wanaharakati na wahusika wengine.
Kwanza, sio sahihi kwamba wanaharakati hawataki barabara zozote ziwepo kwenye mbuga ya Serengeti; barabara zipo na zinatumiwa kila siku. Tatizo ni kwamba barabara hii (ya lami) inakatiza kwenye njia ya uhamaji wa nyumbu – na itakuwa inatumiwa na magari mengi (yatakayokuwa yanakwenda Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi n.k.). Kwahiyo kuna risks nyingi tu…
Pili, wanaharakati wametoa barabara mbadala; itakuwa ndefu kidogo na itaunganisha hiyo miji ya Arusha na Loliondo. Ili tuweze kuelewana na kujua nini kinachoendelea, naomba msome ukurasa wa 18 -19 wa ‘Frankfurt Zoological Society Report’ (ripoti ipo hapo juu kwenye makala).
Ukipata muda na ukaisoma kwa makini utagundua barabara zipo ndani ya mbuga (ambazo haziathiri uhamaji wa nyumbu)… Si wangekarabati au kufanyia kazi hizo kwanza? Tujaribu kuangalia mambo kwa kina, kuuliza maswali hapa na pale, kuja na mawazo yetu wenyewe na tusidhani kuwa kila mjadala umeanzishwa na “Kamau.”
Inaonekana hili suala limefika Bungeni…
Je hiyo barabara mbadala ambayo ni ndefu zaidi, nani atagharimia tofauti.
Jeki, samahani kwasababu nadhani sikuelezea vizuri. Barabara mbadala itakuwa ndefu kwa watu wanaotaka kusafiri kutoka Loliondo hadi Mugumu, kwasababu watakuwa kama wanazunguka kidogo ili kukwepa lile eneo ambalo nyumbu wanapita (upande wa kaskazini). Lakini kwenye ujengaji wenyewe wa miondo mbinu, barabara mbadala itakuwa ni nafuu zaidi. Hii inatoka kwenye repoti ya Frankfurt Zoological Society:
“The amount of new tarmac of the northern route through the Serengeti is 261 miles. The alternate southern route would be 237 miles. In terms of economic development, over 5 times as many people would be serviced by the southern route (2,278,000 people vs. 431,000 in the north.) The southern road passes through important agricultural areas in Tanzania, the northern road does not. It would provide a major opportunity to increase agricultural output and distribution across Manyara-Shinyanga and Mwanza-Regions.”
Najua vitu kama mabonde na milima vinatakiwa viangaliwe; kwasababu gharama ya kujenga barabara hutegemea kama watahitaji kujenga madaraja n.k. Lakini, mimi binafsi nachotaka kuona ni hiyo feasibility study report ya Serikali yetu.
Hivi, hujiulizi kwanini mpaka leo tunasikia tu ‘the feasibility study by the govt. is still underway’? Hakuna mtu aliyeziona ukiacha hao wahusika.
Kuhusu hela, watuambie – kwanza, nani kaipa hela Serikali au kama zinatoka kwenye bajeti (?). Kama unasoma magazeti, utakuwa umesikia kuhusu msaada wa kujenga barabara na miondo mbinu mingine Serikali iliyoipata hivi karibuni.
Jamani nyie wote mnaochangia mada hii hebu jaribuni kuwa hakimu wa kusikiliza utetezi wa pande zote mbili kisha ndio mtoe hukumu.Naongea hivi nikiwa mkazi toka eneo husika wilayani serengeti.Namuunga mkono mhe Rais kwa%100 kwamba maisha bora kwa kila mtanzania yatakuja kwa ujenzi wa hiyo barabara ya lami maana ninyi mnaochangia mna ubinafsi wa maendeleo. Kuhusu adha ya usafiri tunayoipata sisi ndio tunaoumia vifaa vya ujenzi viko juu sana shauli ya barabara mbovu nauli msm to ars tsh 40elfu sawa na kutoka mwz to dar.Kuhusu njia ya nyumbu wale ni wa msimu mwezi wa 6 wakiwa wanaelekea Masai Mara Kenya hadi mwezi wa 9 wakiwa wanarudi.Nyie wanamazingira mlikwishawahi safiri toka ar hadi msoma kwa basi mkaona kweli mateso tunayoyapata? Mfuko wa saruji tukiuziwa sh elfu20 acheni ubinafsi wenu Mh Rais awaokoe wananchi wake toka kwenye umasikini Wanamazingira nawakaribisheni sana serengeti mje mkae walau mwezi 1 tuone kama siku mnataka kurudi arusha kama utatamani kuipanda hiyo basi moja utakayosimama toka musoma hadi arusha!!!
Jamani nyie wote mnaochangia mada hii hebu jaribuni kuwa hakimu wa kusikiliza utetezi wa pande zote mbili kisha ndio mtoe hukumu.Naongea hivi nikiwa mkazi toka eneo husika wilayani serengeti.Namuunga mkono mhe Rais kwa%100 kwamba maisha bora kwa kila mtanzania yatakuja kwa ujenzi wa hiyo barabara ya lami maana ninyi mnaochangia mna ubinafsi wa maendeleo. Kuhusu adha ya usafiri tunayoipata sisi ndio tunaoumia vifaa vya ujenzi viko juu sana shauli ya barabara mbovu nauli msm to ars tsh 40elfu sawa na kutoka mwz to dar.Kuhusu njia ya nyumbu wale ni wa msimu mwezi wa 6 wakiwa wanaelekea Masai Mara Kenya hadi mwezi wa 9 wakiwa wanarudi.Nyie wanamazingira mlikwishawahi safiri toka ar hadi msoma kwa basi mkaona kweli mateso tunayoyapata? Mfuko wa saruji tukiuziwa sh elfu20 acheni ubinafsi wenu Mh Rais awaokoe wananchi wake toka kwenye umasikini Wanamazingira nawakaribisheni sana serengeti mje mkae walau mwezi 1 tuone kama siku mnataka kurudi arusha kama utatamani kuipanda hiyo basi moja utakayosimama toka musoma hadi arusha!!!
It’s funny how we never the see background decisions to policies such as this one to build a road. Civil society seems to have hands in more discussions than people can define.
For example, today’s citizen reports: “In a clear departure from their previous stance on the project, which had been criticised by international and regional conservation agencies and experts, [a number of NGOs] said they are considering joining the government as an interested party in the legal battle.”
See the full article here: http://thecitizen.co.tz/news/4-national-news/21923-ngos-make-u-turn-on-serengeti-road.html