Irrigation scheme repairs underway after 14 years

THE rehabilitation of Bambanani Irrigation Scheme in Mangwe District, Matabeleland South is underway after 14 years of water pumping breakdowns.

The project is meant to assist farmers in Sanzukwi area who have been exposed to drought over the years despite the sprawling 60-hectare irrigation scheme. Matabeleland South Provincial District Development Fund co-ordinator Mr Moment Malandu said water pumps have already been installed and were functioning.

“So far we have made progress on recovery of water pumps at Bambanani and we are now focusing on installing pipelines and repairing water canals,” said Mr Malandu.

He said the project gathered momentum after the fencing of the Night Storage Dam which supplies water to the irrigation scheme. The rehabilitation of the dam is meant to assist villagers in terms of food security following frequent drought over the years.

Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube allocated $310 000 towards the rehabilitation of irrigation schemes in line with the Second Republic’s vision to make Zimbabwe a middle-income economy by 2030. Mr Mulandu also said the DDF has approached several organisations to help in rehabilitation of bridges and dams in the province.

In other developments, the province has started benefiting from DDF programme of drilling boreholes to access clean water.

Four boreholes were recently drilled in Bulilima District while others are already in the pipeline in other districts.