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George Maponga in CHIREDZI

AT least 12 mega-litres of potential irrigation water is being lost at Manjirenji Dam in northern Zaka daily, owing to leakages caused by obsolete outlet pipes that supply water to cane fields in the Lowveld.

Manjirenji Dam was commissioned in 1966 and the dam is the sole irrigation water supplier for Mkwasine sugar estates in Chiredzi.

Mkwasine Estates has been facing a severe shortage of irrigation water caused by broken down valves at Manjirenji, a situation compounded by leaking outlet pipes that are now obsolete and need urgent repairs and replacement.

Mkwasine straddles more than 5 000 hectares and at least 7 200 litres of water per second is required to satiate irrigation of cane fields.

Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and  Monitoring,Implementation of Government Programmes Dr Joram Gumbo yesterday toured the dam to assess challenges blighting supply of irrigation water.

Dr Gumbo said work on repairing obsolete valves and outlet pipes was being hamstrung by a shortage of foreign currency.

“The contractor doing repairs here (Manjirenji Dam) is being paid, but is getting local currency and needs foreign currency to import some valves and steel to make pipes,” said Dr Gumbo.

“We will push for this project to get priority in terms of foreign currency allocation so that repairs are speedily effected to avert loss of water which could otherwise be used for irrigation.”

ZINWA Runde Catchment area manager Engineer William Tsvuura says at least 12 ML of water was being lost daily because of leakages at Manjirenji, putting to waste a resource that could have been used for irrigation.

Engineer Tsvuura says there is urgent need for the contractor to access foreign currency to replace worn out valves and leaking pipes.

It would take at least five months to complete the repairs if foreign currency was availed now.

There are four outlet valves that need to be replaced at Manjirenji together with two outlet pipes, each 60 meters long, with a diameter of one metre to ensure uninterrupted water supply at Mkwasine Estates and other smallholder irrigation schemes along the canal.

Manjirenji Dam was renamed after Independence having been commissioned as Lake McDougall in honour of the pioneer of sugar cane farming in the Lowveld.