adminFortunate Gora Mash West Correspondent
Government has availed about $5 million to the District Development Fund (DDF) for the rehabilitation of 35 smallholder irrigation schemes countrywide. The programme, which is already underway in some districts, will cover eight provinces, except Harare and Bulawayo Metropolitan, under the Command Irrigation Scheme.
In an interview recently, the DDF national director of water supplies Mr Edwin Toriro said Treasury had $5m with $4 850 000 being channelled towards irrigation development.
The remaining $150 000, he said, would be set aside for the procurement of supervision vehicles.
“In line with the National Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation Program, DDF has immensely contributed to the national target of 200ha per district, totalling to 1,354ha of the irrigation development from January 2018 to date,” he said.
“Nationwide, the rehabilitation of 28 small holder irrigation schemes has so far been completed and the remaining seven operations are underway.”
The work completed includes infield works, rehabilitation of pump stations, canal repairs including re-opening and lining, de-silting of night storage tanks and construction weirs.
The fund has also, in some schemes, replaced hydrants, fencing, gulley reclamation, spillway rehabilitation and repaired mainlines, among other activities.
Meanwhile, in Mashonaland West province, works have been completed in Zvimba and Sanyati districts while another project is currently underway in Chegutu RDC.
“In Zvimba at Kutama, there is 60 hectares in which 120 beneficiaries are already benefiting and in this area we have repaired a mainline and infield piping,” he said.
“In the same district at Lazenby Farm, 80 beneficiaries are so far benefiting were we have completed the fencing and replacement of hydrants. We also added aluminium pipes.”
The DDF has also completed the irrigation project in Chegutu at Dongaronga Irrigation Scheme were 80 beneficiaries are benefiting from 40ha of irrigable land.
In Sanyati, DDF has completed the rehabilitation of Gowe Irrigation Scheme where 20ha are open for agricultural production. It also replaced pumps and fabricated the station while the mainline was rehabilitated.
However, another irrigation scheme at Chemahoro work is at 40 percent while rehabilitation of the project is also underway. DDF has also bought three vehicles to be demand responsive and achieve the required irrigation development targets.
The three vehicles have already been deployed and are working towards achieving the set irrigation targets. DDF has a potential to develop at 5 000ha of irrigation land per year.
It also has the capacity to construct small-to-medium dams, repair breached dams and spillways, constructing all types of irrigation systems, drilling of irrigation boreholes and monitoring and evaluation of such projects.
Online Reporter