dyton mupawaenda
Bulawayo Bureau
THE overhaul restructuring of Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme in Binga will be completed in nine days following the release of funds to pay the contractor as Government moves to expedite the planting of 400 hectares of commercial sorghum and sunflower within a couple of weeks.
Government this week released US$200 000 to Petrichor Irrigation Private Limited, a company contracted to fix the irrigation infrastructure.
Petrichor Irrigation general manager Mr Daniel Periman yesterday took Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka through the processes that have been undertaken to restructure the massive irrigation scheme.
Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme is a joint venture between the Binga community and the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA).
For years, the project has not been effectively operating due to a poor pumping system which resulted in farmers failing to irrigate.
Dr Masuka who was accompanied by ARDA executives, the contractor, officials from the Department of Irrigation, and senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion, toured the project to get an update on the ongoing works.
He expressed satisfaction with what is on the ground, saying the release of funds will breathe life into the project which is set to transform lives in the district.
New pipelines and water pumps have been installed on site and what is left is the connection of power to the system.
Dr Masuka said an additional US$200 000 was provided to the contractor so that electricity transformers and an automated power connection could be installed.
“Today’s visit was to ensure that we evaluate the progress that has been made at Bulawayo Kraal specifically to see the new designs. I’m very pleased that we are at 95 percent and in the next nine days, this project will now be operational,” he said.
“We will be able to irrigate the first 200 hectares in 10 days. Binga community has waited patiently for this project to come to fruition for the past 21 years and I thank them for their patience, but most importantly I thank them for their confidence in this team.”
Dr Masuka said the team was able to resolve all the technical challenges that stalled the project.
“As you have seen we have now changed the whole design for the project where we have put in two lines and three pumping units along the 9,6km conveyancing system. This gives us the confidence that this will be able to work,” he said.
“The few bits that haven’t been completed will be completed soon and will allow us to celebrate the first phase which will give us the 400 ha irrigated. Alongside that, we going to immediately start a fisheries component of this project.”
The minister said the communities in the next six months will be able to get the full benefits of the project as envisaged in terms of Vision 2030.
Dr Masuka said the project will run under the Presidential Vision 2030 accelerator model.
“When we introduced this model in Bubi Lupane Irrigation Scheme, we saw the results as 90 households had their lives immediately transformed and now we have been able to replicate this in 304 irrigation schemes of the 460. Whenever we have introduced the scheme, it has become a viable business, sustainable and profitable,” he said. “Livelihoods of the communities have been uplifted. So clearly this is an accelerator for the attainment of Vision 2030.”
ARDA chief executive officer Mr Tinotenda Mhiko said the scheme will become operational as it has been dormant for more than two decades, depriving communities of a potential source of livelihood.
“The scheme has been lying idle for 21 years. So this is going to be a game changer in terms of rural transformation of communities. We are targeting to plant 300 hectares of commercial sorghum and 100 ha of commercial sunflower,” he said.
“We are following Government policy stating that the agro-ecological region should determine the crops that we produce. It also dovetails with our mandate of guaranteeing national bio-feed fibre, bio-fuels, and food security.”
Bulawayo Irrigation Scheme chairman Mr Titos Munkuli commended Government for ensuring that the irrigation scheme comes to life.
He said the community was looking forward to having their lives transformed through the utilisation of the scheme.
“We want to be part and parcel of implementing Vision 2030. We hope going forward, we are not going to see anyone failing to pay school fees through the incomes that they will be getting here,” said Mr Munkuli.
“We also don’t expect to hear that any child has kwashiorkor due to poor dietary as we expect that the project will result in communities being food secure.
Online Reporter