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George Maponga in Masvingo
Nearly 900 hectares of newly planted sugar cane at Mkwasine Estates in Chiredzi is in immediate danger of wilting owing to shortage of irrigation water following a breakdown at Manjirenji Dam.
Manjirenji Dam,which is along Chiredzi River in Zaka, supplies irrigation water to Mkwasine and Nandi Estates in the Lowveld.
The two estates straddle over a combined 14 000ha.
According to Mkwasine Farmers’ Association chair Retired Colonel Dennis Masomere the situation at Mkwasine and Nandi is dire.
The two estates have now gone for a week without water,with Col Masomere blaming ZINWA for lacking urgency to rectify the problem.
ZINWA spokesperson Mrs Marjorie Munyonga in a statement said the water challenge was caused by a breakdown on the outlets at Manjirenji Dam.
Mrs Munyonga says ther water management authority is working round the clock to normalise the situation.
Mkwasine Estates together with Nandi get irrigation water supply from Manjirenji and Siya Dams.However, Siya water cannot directly irrigate the estates as it vomits its water in Manjirenji.
Online Reporter