The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure Senior Reporter
CONSTRUCTION of the Marovanyati Dam in Buhera – which was suspended in 2007 at 40 percent completion due to lack of funding – has resumed after Government advanced $2 million to the contractor, China Jiangxi International Corporation. Treasury this year allocated $8,2 million to Marovanyati Dam, and the Chinese company was last Thursday given assurance that more funds will be availed to ensure completion of the project in 18 months.
The contract price for its excavation work, outlay work and the dam wall construction is $33 million. Since July, Government has been religiously paying the contractor for completed stages. The project is being supervised by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority, with Engineer Maurukira as the main man, while Eng Hazvinei Alois Katsande and Mr Zakio Chibagidi are the resident engineer and site technician respectively.
Eng Maurukira is understood to have instructed the contractor to boost its special equipment and machinery to expedite construction work. When The Manica Post visited the site on Monday, people were working on 87m of the concrete D-tunnel. The D-tunnel will accommodate outlet pipes which will serve as a diversion tunnel in the event of floods.
Work was also in progress on the core trench, dam wall embankment, backfilling the cut-off trench, including the river bed section and the hard excavation of the spillway approach and return channel. China Jiangxi International Corporation representative Eng Jin Haibing said since they resumed operations in July, no major challenges had been encountered. So far 70 people from surrounding villagers have been recruited.
“We have resumed work and we are currently excavating the spillway, doing the dam wall embankment and back-filling of the cut-off trench and other areas requiring earthworks.
When we suspended operations in 2007, the clearing of dam and spillway foundations, soft excavations of spillway approach and return channel, cut-off excavations and grouting, outlet works soft and hard excavations had been completed and we are doing our best and should finish as soon as possible,” said Eng Haibing.
The height of the core trench, from the river bed level to the top crest, is 30m and 470m. Eng Haibing said concrete would be cast on the remaining and 20m of the D-Tunnel between Tuesday and Thursday. Mr Chibagidi said all things being equal the project should take 18 months to complete.
“The contractor has some special equipment which is lacking to expedite the whole construction, and Government is negotiating with them with a view to helping them find competent companies to sub-contract and boost the plant. They are having a meeting this week to identify potential equipment to hire. They have been assured by Government that funds will be availed up to the completion of the project. The contractor is happy because every completed stage has been paid. The work is about 60 percent, and if the plant is boosted, within 18 months the project will be through,” said Mr Chibagidi.
Marovanyati Dam is located on the Mwerihari River and is Buhera’s flagship of hope as its intended purpose is to provide domestic, industrial water supply to Murambinda and irrigation of 3 650ha of agricultural land.
