Houses slated for demolition to improve water supply

The government of Zanzibar plans to demolish at least 150 houses to reduce the pollution of water sources on the islands. "Building houses close to the water sources and the unnecessary harvesting of sand from the riverbanks has caused water and environmental degradation, and is also a threat to the future of the island,” Zanzibar’s Chief Minister Shamsi Vuai Nahodha said on Friday. Nahodha said that the current water shortages facing Zanzibar were brought about by deforestation and unplanned housing. "Local leaders who permitted the construction of houses near water sources will compensate the owners of the demolished houses," Nahodha said. However, Zanzibar's main opposition party, the Civic United Front, said it opposed the demolition plan. The government's decision would be a violation of human rights and of the island's land laws, spokesman Hamad Masoud said. He said that the government should compensate the owners of the houses, some of which were built 15 years ago, and the inhabitants should be resettled. The government has not yet set a date for the demolition.