Chronicle Editor
Sharon Chimenya, Masvingo Correspondent
THE feasibility study for Muzhwi dam in Masvingo, which is set to turn Chivi district and Mushandike irrigation scheme into greenbelts is now underway.
The dam used to provide water to the Lowveld but after the completion of the Tugwi Mukosi dam it became underutilised and Government has identified the dam to help resuscitate Mushandike irrigation scheme. Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Cde Ezra Chadzamira said that the development will see about 3 200 households up from 800 households from Mushandike benefitting.
“We will see a lot of agricultural projects in our different districts which will mainly be Chiredzi, Mwenezi and Masvingo because of the water bodies in the areas. In Masvingo district we are going to have the Mutirikwi upstream irrigation scheme which will encompass the greenbelt from Roy up to Bikita and will be irrigating 3 800 hectares and has been budgeted for under the NDS1. We will again see the development of the Mushandike irrigation scheme from 800 households who were benefitting to 3 200 households with the water being drawn from Muzhwi dam and will irrigate some parts of Chivi, Chivi North and Chivi Central. The feasibility study is now in progress,” said Cde Chadzamira.
Recurrent droughts that were experienced in the past few years had brought about challenges in Mushandike as the dam which supported the irrigation scheme could not cope hence the move by Government in 2018 to draw water from Muzhwi. Early last year because of drought, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority was forced into decommissioning Mushandike Dam with the dead water in the reservoirs being reserved for wildlife in the Mushandike Game Park.
Meanwhile, Cde Chadzamira said Masvingo was targeting developing close to about 60 000 hectares of irrigated land in the province. In Chiredzi the province is targeting about 12 000 hectares, at Chiredzi airport there is a target of 4 000 hectares and 25 000 hectares in Mwenezi.
“The resources in our province are vast and our duty as leaders is to develop. We urge you that at least 80 percent of your efforts should be on development. Participate immensely through the devolution, engaging the communities we don’t want projects that would turn into white elephants because of people who don’t consult,” he said.
Bongani Ndlovu