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Nyore Madzianike Senior Reporter
CYCLONE Idai, which ravaged the country sometime in March this year, has stalled construction work at Marowanyati Dam in Buhera as water levels rose drastically making it difficult to work on some sections.

The tropical cyclone also swept away some of the infrastructure that was set up including roads and bridges at the construction site.

Marowanyati Dam is about 95 percent complete and was expected to be done before the beginning of this year’s rainy season. The dam has already stored about 33 cubic metres of water since its construction. Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) engineer Alouis Katsande, who is supervising the multi-million-dollar facility being constructed by Chinese Jiangxi Cooperation, said they were forced to construct some makeshift infrastructure for work to resume.

“The project was also affected by the cyclone as water levels suddenly rose making it difficult to work on other sections,” he said. “Some of the infrastructure that was being used during the construction was affected with roads and bridges having been swept away in the process. It then delayed work as it was difficult to work during those days,” he said.