adminSukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu
Bulawayo Bureau
THE Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) is set to rehabilitate 1 300 boreholes in Matabeleland South as part of efforts to cushion villagers against the effects of the El Nino-induced drought.
In an interview, RIDA Matabeleland South’s acting provincial coordinator Mr Joseph Dube said the programme will target 104 boreholes at dip tanks and 1 200 in communities.
So far 389 out of 1 200 community boreholes have been rehabilitated.
The target is to have completed the rehabilitation process by mid-August.
“Given the drought we are facing this year, RIDA has set out a target to resuscitate some water sources focusing mainly on boreholes and we will also look into a few dams depending on the availability of funds,” he said.
“We have rolled out a rapid borehole rehabilitation programme where we have re-tooled our pump mechanics and deployed them into the districts. They are in the field doing borehole rehabilitation work. Our target is to ensure that we have water for both livestock and people.”
Mr Dube said the rehabilitation of boreholes at dip tanks would ensure that there was adequate water to prevent January Disease.
“We are moving with speed so that we mitigate this drought. Resources permitting we wish to complete this programme by 15 August. We have also identified dams that need urgent attention,” he said.
“The rehabilitation of dams also requires a lot of capital. We have identified dams that require very little in terms of finance, materials and time to rehabilitate.”
Mr Dube said Fakanye Dam in Mangwe District is at 90 percent complete.
“There is also Gungwe Dam and we are in the process of assessing other dams to see if we can quickly rehabilitate them,” he said.
The Government has scaled up efforts to ensure that farmers have enough feed and water for their livestock in the face of the El Nino drought.
Government has started constructing drought mitigation centres in over 1 600 rural wards across the country in response to the effects of El Nino drought with Garanyemba in Gwanda District Matabeleland South Province identified as a pilot project.
The project being implemented under the Rural Development 8.0 programme will be replicated in all 1 620 rural wards across the country.
Under the programme, Government is setting up nutrition gardens, and livestock feeding troughs. Livestock sales centres are being also constructed in each drought mitigation centre where there will be solar-powered boreholes.
The sales centres will ensure that Government monitors the selling of cattle so that farmers are not ripped off by unscrupulous buyers and middlemen.
The Government working with its partners has also intensified the hay baling programme to ensure farmers have access to affordable feed. Under the programme, hay will be moved from provinces which have enough grass to provinces with depleted pastures.
It will be providing 6,1 million rural communities with food aid until next year in March as most of the communities did not harvest anything due to drought. In urban areas, 1,6 million people will also receive the Government’s support.
Between now and the end of September, each member of the family will be entitled to 7,5 kg of maize.
The Government has also adopted a build back better strategy as it handles the drought situation where able-bodied beneficiaries will be deployed to rehabilitate infrastructure projects in their communities.
Drought relief command centres have also been established so that all relevant stakeholders are brought together to ensure smooth and effective coordination of food aid distribution to needy communities while providing cash transfers to vulnerable households.
More than one million people in the Matabeleland region will receive food aid this year.
Online Reporter