Nyakomba rehabilitation takes shape

13 Jan, 2017 - 00:01 0 Views

The ManicaPost

Samuel Kadungure Senior Reporter —
THE dream to rejuvenate operations at Nyakomba Irrigation Scheme in Nyanga has taken a huge leap as the Japanese engineers and contractors – who since 2015 have been working on feasibility studies and designs – have moved on site to begin the rehabilitation of aging existing infrastructure and expansion of Block A.

Nyakomba Irrigation Scheme, one of the most critical schemes in the country, which encompasses Blocks B, C and D that measure up to 430 hectares – was established with the assistance from Japan between 1997 and 2000.   The Manica Post understands the engineers are assessing the wet situation with a view to begin work, as construction is affected by rain.

The rehabilitation of Nyakomba Irrigation Scheme is funded to the tune of $18 million by the Japanese Government, through the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) and will drastically reduce adverse impact of climate change and improve household food security among impoverished smallholder farmers in Nyanga North constituency.

JICA representative, Mr Shumon Yoshiara, said expansion works on the scheme would stretch from November 2016 to March 2019.

The public private partnership between Government and JICA is key in enhancing sustainable agriculture and development, given that Zimbabwe’s agriculture had remained heavily reliant on rains and only to suffer from severe weather vagaries.

The move to expand scheme and rehabilitate broken down irrigation infrastructure came after President Mugabe in 2015 met JICA president, Professor Akehiko Tanaka and discussed technical co-operation towards poverty reduction.

“They (Japanese engineers and contractors) are on site, which means they have brought their construction equipment on site. They will start with the rehabilitation of Block C as well as establishing of new pump-house for Block D, which was affected by floods in 2006.

“The pump-house will be relocated to a safe site within the vicinity of the existing one and the process will include the construction of flood return walls for Blocks D and C,” said a source privy to the development.

In 2018 they will be working on Blocks A and B.

“The level of water in Nyakomba River is still low, possibly due to the low rains received last season and we are optimistic that this season we might be able to survive flooding in that area as this may affect construction work. Farmers are busy in the fields, including in Block A (rain-fed) as construction is not affecting their operations,” said the source. Japan has so far injected nearly $52m in Phase 1 of Nyakomba Irrigation Scheme.

However, the facility was damaged by Cyclone Eline in 2000 and since then the scheme, subdivided into 0.8ha per plot holder, has been operating below capacity.

The major challenges confronting it include constantly breaking down of old pumps and vandalised canals.  The pump station along Nyakomba River requires site change as it is prone to vandalism from floods.

Irrigation farmers also cited high input costs, particularly of seed, fertiliser and chemicals as an acute problem and some are subleasing their plots to raise money for inputs, an indication of the need for input support schemes to enable the farmers to make maximum use of the irrigable land.

Water logging and leaching of nutrients were also some problems at the scheme.

The Phase 2 expansion programme, which includes construction of pumping facilities, pipelines, irrigation canals, farm pond, drainage, replacement and repairing of existing pumping facilities and flood protection structures pumping station for Block B, C and D which was damaged by floods in 2000, is expected to stretch for 28 months.

It will encompass new irrigation infrastructure for an additional 146ha for A1 for Block A, which had stalled for years due to financial limitations.

Block A will benefit 230 farmers, bringing the total number of small holder beneficiaries to 861.

The irrigation expansion will stabilise the supply of water for all-year round agricultural crop production.

Japanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Yoshi Hiraish, who toured the scheme in 2015, said the expansion programme was a milestone development as water pumps and other irrigation infrastructure would be fully rehabilitated.

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