Published by the government of Zimbabwe
Marondera Bureau
23 February 2008
Harare — Government has made available $2,2 trillion for the development of the Svosve Irrigation Scheme in Marondera, drawing from the existing Wenimbi Dam.
The money has been released through the Public Sector Investment Programme.
The Svosve Irrigation Scheme will get water from Wenimbi Dam, which has not been drawn for more than five years.
The dam, designed and engineered by the Department of Water Development, was built to service irrigation projects at Munyembi, Wenimbi and Arcadia Farm as well as in Svosve communal lands.
Preparations for the establishment of the irrigation scheme in Svosve started in 2006 with the construction of a 10km access road at a cost of then $400 million, which was lent by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
According to the Department of Irrigation, the $2,2 trillion accessed through the PSIP is for the construction of a Zesa sub-station to enable kick-starting of the project.
Operation Maguta will complement the scheme through disbursement of inputs.
The plan to be implemented is the drawing of water from the dam using trenches to Munyembi Hill before the water is released to the irrigation scheme using the Prag-Horst method.
This is considered low-cost technology that is easy to maintain and replace in comparison to the laying of aluminium pipes.
About 300 villagers are expected to benefit from the scheme, with each allocated a house per hectare, which would be enough for them to break from the poverty bracket.
Zinwa has reserved at least 20 percent of the water in Wenimbi Dam for the Svosve Irrigation Scheme.
The authority has an ambitious project to draw water from the dam about 25km away to Marondera. The project is expected to augment Marondera's dwindling water supply in view of the town's rapid population growth.
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