Chronicle Editor
Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
THERE are several dams under construction such as Vungu in Lower Gweru in the Midlands province as Government intensifies efforts to ensure that the agriculture sector does not suffer from the negative effects of droughts.
This year, Government has set aside $24 billion for dam construction as well as irrigation development across the country.
In an interview, the chief director in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Rural Resettlement, Engineer Tinayeshe Mutazu said the goal is to reduce vulnerability to drought and to boost production by irrigating at least 350 000 hectares of land.
Eng Mutazu said there were green belts that are being developed around major dams in the country.
“There are dams that have been commissioned by President Mnangagwa, some are under construction and plans to construct others are underway.
This year Government put aside $24 billion for dams and irrigation development.
We are expanding the existing Murambinda irrigation system to 1 250 hectares, we have Semwa dam (Rushinga) under construction and targeted for completion in 2022 and will irrigate 2 000 hectares, Kunzvi dam, for Harare water supply mainly and construction is starting this year.
Vungu dam for irrigation in the Lower Gweru area and construction just started,” he said.
He said construction of Ziminya dam in Nkayi area for irrigation has just started.
In Matabeleland South, Eng Mutazu said Tuli Manyange dam in Gwanda district is under construction.
He said in Matabeleland North there is Lake Gwayi Shangani which must be completed this year.
“I can go on and on but the bottom line is that we have dams and irrigation schemes taking place throughout the country.
The long and short of it is that we are certainly on a hard drive to make sure that our water bodies are fully utilised especially in the context of irrigation development.
On the whole we think by 2025 or so, we would have done some 350 000 hectares that we would have brought to life in terms of irrigation development,” said Eng Mutazu.
He said Zimbabwe has the most dams in the region after South Africa.
“We are comfortable with the amount the Government has invested in terms of water development,” said Eng Mutazu.
“Our mandate as the Ministry is to make sure that all water resources we develop are fully utilised in terms of urban water supply and rural water supply but in the recent past it has come to our attention as a Government that we need to climate proof our agriculture.
It is against this that we have programmes like the Mayorca irrigation scheme in Zhombe where we seek to rehabilitate all the irrigation schemes especially those in the rural set up and to also make sure that the people around benefit from the resource.”
Online Reporter