A grand water project at Ryamisanga village in Musoma has been sabotaged by thieves who vandalised infrastructural equipment.

The vandals were none other than the villagers themselves, who are now forced to fetch water from crocodile-infested River Mara.

The water project, which had cost over Sh200 million, was supplying water to 15 villages. The project was implemented following years of complaints by the villagers, who were being killed by crocodiles as they fetched water from Mara River.

Speaking to The Citizen, some villagers appealed to the authorities to revive the project and save them from predicaments. When water started to flow last year some families shifted to areas where they could get it easily.

Ms Robi Askari, 40, a mother of seven in Ryamisanga village, said water infrastructure had been severely vandalised affecting supply of water to hundreds of villagers at the area.

"The water project was helpful as hundreds of villagers were benefiting from it... we are appealing to our MP to intervene and rescue us from this uncertain situation,"she said.

They now want their MP, Mr Nimrod Mkono, who had been fully engaged in the project from the beginning, to intervene and rescue the project. Ms Monica Matiku, 29, a mother of six, also said the damage to the water project had affected women who are now forced to travel long hours to fetch water.