News / Local
Dande dam to supply water to more than 1000 small holder farmers
21 Feb 2016 at 06:19hrs | Views
Minister of Environment, Water and Climate Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri has said the Dande dam which is under construction will supply water to more than 1000 small holder farmers and communities in the drought prone Dande valley.
She said the Dande dam project involves the construction of a 160 million cubic metres capacity earth fill dam on the Dande river in Guruve District of the Mashonaland Central Province. She said this project also incorporates the construction of a 7.3km tunnel to be drilled through the Mavhuradonha mountains.
"The project is intended to supply irrigation water to more than 1 000 small holder farmers and communities in the drought prone Dande Valley which lies below the Zambezi escarpment. The construction of the project started in 2000 and was funded through the African Development Bank (AfDB). Government took over the project in 2001 when the funding by the AfDB failed to materialize. Works briefly started before coming to a standstill due to financial challenges," she said.
"The Ministry wishes to advise that a number of water infrastructural projects have been suspended due to insufficient budgetary provisions. These include, Marovanyati, Bindura, Semwa, and Dande Dam and tunnel and Tuli Manyane dam among others."
She said in fulfilling its mandate to develop, manage and deliver water to the people of Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate has embarked on raising funds to complete these important water infrastructure projects through the involvement of private partners/investors.
"As part of these efforts, the Ministry held a Water Resources and Infrastructure Investment Conference on 24th and 25th June, 2015 at the Rainbow Towers Hotel. The Investment Conference was attended by many international and local investors who showed interest in partnering Government in the implementation of such dam projects like the Dande dam and tunnel," she said.
She said the Dande dam project involves the construction of a 160 million cubic metres capacity earth fill dam on the Dande river in Guruve District of the Mashonaland Central Province. She said this project also incorporates the construction of a 7.3km tunnel to be drilled through the Mavhuradonha mountains.
"The project is intended to supply irrigation water to more than 1 000 small holder farmers and communities in the drought prone Dande Valley which lies below the Zambezi escarpment. The construction of the project started in 2000 and was funded through the African Development Bank (AfDB). Government took over the project in 2001 when the funding by the AfDB failed to materialize. Works briefly started before coming to a standstill due to financial challenges," she said.
"The Ministry wishes to advise that a number of water infrastructural projects have been suspended due to insufficient budgetary provisions. These include, Marovanyati, Bindura, Semwa, and Dande Dam and tunnel and Tuli Manyane dam among others."
She said in fulfilling its mandate to develop, manage and deliver water to the people of Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate has embarked on raising funds to complete these important water infrastructure projects through the involvement of private partners/investors.
"As part of these efforts, the Ministry held a Water Resources and Infrastructure Investment Conference on 24th and 25th June, 2015 at the Rainbow Towers Hotel. The Investment Conference was attended by many international and local investors who showed interest in partnering Government in the implementation of such dam projects like the Dande dam and tunnel," she said.
Source - Byo24News
