Mat’land South gets solar powered irrigation systems

Sukulwenkosi Dube / Patient Sibanda Plumtree Correspondents
A CATHOLIC development agency, Caritas Zimbabwe Archdiocese of Bulawayo has embarked on a project to instal solar powered water systems to irrigate gardens in Matabeleland South province.

The organisation last week commissioned one such system at Terrelyn Village in Umzingwane district.

Two weeks ago, the organisation handed over another solar powered water system that was installed at Vukuzenzele Community Gardens in Mpimbila Village in Bulilima District.

Speaking at the handover ceremony in Bulilima, Caritas Zimbabwe development coordinator, Welcome Sibanda, said the new system was infact a piped water system that was powered by solar.

“Villagers from this village have been struggling to access irrigation water hence we came up with this system which enables them to pump water from underground using solar power,” said Sibanda.

He said under the system water is pumped using solar power into 5,000 litre tanks which then feed water into taps for use by villagers.

Sibanda said villagers were now guaranteed reliable water supplies to irrigate their crops.

“Most projects in Matabeleland depend on reliable water sources, be it irrigation or livestock rearing. We realised that we could use solar energy to pump water from underground,” said Sibanda.

He said so far 19 solar powered water pumping systems have been installed at community gardens in 15 villages in Bulilima.

Sibanda said the programme was supporting more than 2,000 people in Matabeleland South province.