A TOTAL of 633 boreholes have been drilled in the past year to facilitate commercial horticulture in rural areas under the Presidential Rural Development Programme, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has said.
Government has roped in the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) and Agricultural Advisory and Rural Development Services (AARDS) to assist in establishing and maintaining the horticulture projects.
One hundred and thirty-one boreholes have been drilled in Masvingo province, while Mashonaland West has 93.
Also, 92 boreholes have been drilled in Mashonaland Central, with 71 in Mashonaland East and 69 in Manicaland.
Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Midlands have 56, 64 and 57 boreholes, respectively.
Zinwa corporate communications and marketing manager Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said 15 borehole-drilling rigs had been delivered, with 15 more expected this year.
“The boreholes being drilled under the Presidential Rural Development Programme will, among other things, provide water for communities to establish commercial horticulture gardens,” she said.
“ARDA and AGRITEX (AARDS) assist communities in setting up and managing the horticulture gardens to ensure their viability and sustainability. This will, without doubt, prop up performance of the country’s horticulture sub-sector.
“Other agencies in the programme are the Department of Irrigation, the Agricultural Marketing Authority and the Tobacco Research Board.”
The dams that are presently being constructed across the country, she said, will also support irrigation, water treatment plants and, in other instances, power generation.
“The dams themselves are no longer the project, but part of a whole composite package of project components meant to ensure the immediate utilisation of water,” she added.
Construction is underway at Kunzvi Dam, Bindura, Semwa, Mbada (Silverstroom), Dande and Tunnel, Tuli-Manyange, Gwayi-Shangani, Chivhu, Ziminya and Vungu.
Gwayi-Shangani Dam in Matabeleland North, which is set to be completed this year, will supply water to Bulawayo, irrigate land along the pipeline and generate 10 megawatts of electricity.
Work at Kunzvi will be completed next year, and the dam will supply water to Harare and facilitate irrigation in surrounding areas.
For other dams such as Tugwi-Mukosi, Marovanyati and Muchekeranwa, $55,3 billion was set aside in the 2023 Budget for development of irrigation infrastructure, fisheries and water conveyancing systems, among other projects.
The Government is also implementing the National Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation Programme, which is focusing on rehabilitation, development and maintenance of communal irrigation schemes. – Sunday News
