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Takunda Maodza Manicaland Bureau Chief
CHIMANIMANI East legislator Cde Joshua Sacco has proposed the construction of a dam at Cashel Valley, as the irrigation scheme at the estate is on the verge of collapsing owing to climate change and global warming.

Cde Sacco has since engaged relevant Government departments on the matter, and engineers from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) are expected at Cashel Valley this week to carry out feasibility studies.

Chimanimani District is largely under climatic Region One which receives enough rainfall, but has of late been experiencing erratic rains.

In an interview with The Herald last Friday, Cde Sacco said besides Cashel Valley, there were a lot of areas that required dams to facilitate agricultural activities.

“We have engaged the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement on the need for the construction of a dam at Cashel Valley,” he said.

“Climate change and global warming have resulted in water challenges at Cashel Valley.”

A dam site has since been identified.

“We have identified a site to do a feasibility study for the construction of a dam at Cashel Valley. Our irrigation facility there is facing collapse. Engineers from ZINWA are expected to visit Cashel Valley this week to assess the site,” said Cde Sacco.

Cashel Valley boasts of 381 hectares of arable land, but has been operating below capacity for a long time now. Through the District Development Fund (DDF), Government managed to revive an irrigation scheme at Cashel Valley under the National Accelerated Irrigation Rehabilitation Programme.