dyton mupawaenda
Zvamaida Murwira-Senior Reporter
MORE than 300 families set for relocation to pave way for construction of Kunzvi Dam to the north east of Harare, are set to benefit from a 500 hectare irrigation scheme that will draw water from the high impact water body.
The Government has now started pegging the plots for each family set to benefit from the irrigation scheme as well as demarcate the areas the villagers will be resettled.
This also comes as construction of the dam is now 47 percent complete.
The dam, one of the Second Republic’s signature infrastructure projects, is set for completion at the end of this year.
Speaking during a media tour of the dam site yesterday, Zimbabwe National Water Authority project resident engineer Davidson Madondo, said allocating the families irrigable land is part of the Government’s efforts to ensure that the dam benefits a huge cross section of people including those affected by its construction.
“We have some families who reside in the vicinity of our work. Their presence affects our work such as blasting and they have to be relocated. We have since found an area for their relocation after Chief Mangwende of Murehwa gave us one.
“The area has 500 hectares of irrigation to be drawn from the dam and they will equally benefit. There will also be relocation of some graves that are in the area of our work. We have since engaged the local traditional leaders and an alternative place has since been identified,” said Eng Madondo.
He said the contractor, Makomo Engineering, is carrying out excavation of the core trench, grouting on the core trench invert, backfilling on the core trench, placing fill material on the fill zone, and placing blinding concrete on the outlet works.
Eng Madondo said construction of a masonry downstream access bridge has been completed.
“We have to cover a lot of ground this dry season before rains fall, if it means introducing shifts, even three shifts, we will do so if it becomes necessary”.
Eng Madondo said construction of a water treatment plant has commenced.
“Construction of a water treatment plant is now about nine percent complete, there is excavation of the foundation of the reservoir filters and water tanks,” he said.
Kunzvi Dam is one of the high impact projects being carried out by the Second Republic as part of greater efforts to contain the effects of climate change which has seen subdued rainfall this year.
The US$109 million project is set to mitigate perennial water problems in Harare and surrounding areas.
The dam site is located about 14km to the south east of Juru growth point on the Nyagui River. Besides ensuring supply for north east and eastern Harare, Chitungwiza and Ruwa will benefit from the project.
Kunzvi dam has been touted as a panacea to Harare’s perennial water challenges that has seen instances of cholera outbreak.
Online Reporter