100ha irrigation scheme on the verge of collapse

supply water to the scheme broke down threatening the livelihood of over 5 000 families.
Villagers in Chilonga communal lands, under Chief Sengwe depend on the irrigation scheme.
In an interview at the weekend, the villagers said there was need for Government to urgently intervene and help rehabilitate the water pumps if the irrigation scheme that draws water from Runde River, was to be rescued.
At least 310 plot-holders at the scheme have been forced to scale down farming over the past few months.
They are now relying on one makeshift pump, which they say is unreliable.
Chilonga Irrigation Scheme committee secretary, Mr Emson Mushiyi, said: “The situation at the irrigation scheme is bad at the moment because we were forced to scale down our operations after the pumps that used to supply water to the 310 plots here broke down.
“Efforts to repair the pumps have been hitting a brick wall due to lack of funding.
“We are now forced to rely on one makeshift pump which is very unreliable and sometimes the scheme goes for three to four days without water, it is a real tragedy because this irrigation scheme is our source of livelihood.”
He said food security in Chiredzi South district was now under threat.
“There was drought in Chiredzi South this year but the main reason why the food situation is more precarious is because Chilonga Irrigation Scheme is not operating at full throttle owing to water shortages.
“We can actually say the irrigation scheme is operating at about only 25 percent capacity,” added Mr Mushiyi.
Headman Chilonga said his people were facing hunger.
Chilonga Irrigation Scheme was established in 1965 and has been the source of livelihood for thousands of villagers in Chilonga communal lands in the arid Chiredzi South District.