Nyanyadzi River recharging underway

16 Aug, 2024 - 00:08 0 Views
Nyanyadzi River recharging underway The climate change response strategy to recharge and regenerate water tables and improve the flow rate of Nyanyadzi River will result in the construction of a more than 250-kilometre stretch of mechanised contours

 

Spren Mutiwi
Correspondent

A CLIMATE change response strategy to recharge and regenerate water tables and improve the flow rate of Nyanyadzi River has been launched in Hangani area of Chimanimani District, courtesy of the joint partnership between Government and a community-based organisation.

The project will result in the construction of a more than 250-kilometre stretch of mechanised contours under the TSURO Trust and Tudor Trust-funded project.

The project code named “a trail to the sources” is aimed at enhancing resilience of the landscape and livelihoods in Chimanimani District, and will be rolled out for the next 18 months.

In an interview after witnessing the launch, Department of Agricultural Engineering Mechanisation, Farm Infrastructure Development’s Manicaland provincial mechanised engineer, Mr Hlahla Magama, said Government is excited to partner TSURO Trust in rolling out the mechanised conservation work to protect Nyanyadzi River’s catchment area.

“We realised the need and importance of protecting the catchment area in order to regenerate the water tables, and improve the lifespan of Nyanyadzi River, which off-late has been under threat. In the same process, we are assisting the downstream communities who depend on the river as a source for their livelihoods,” said Mr Magama.

He applauded TSURO Trust for initiating the project aimed at establishing conservation works around all the cultivated land within Hangani catchment area.

“Our Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development officials are busy pegging conservation works within the fields, and this will be followed by the mechanised construction works of contours. This is where Government has come on-board with the provision of mechanised equipment to ease the burden associated with manual construction work. This is a big relief to farmers who were accustomed to the manual labour intensive process,” added Mr Magama.

He underscored the importance of contours as a climate change mitigation strategy which will help in regenerating water tables.

“Considering the climate change impact which is upon us, and the fact that 2024 is a drought year, there is great anticipation that on the onset of the rainy season, we are likely to face a high rate of soil erosion. The project comes in handy to help protect the soil, catchment area and regenerate the water tables in Nyanyadzi River as well,” he said.

TSURO Trust project coordinator, Mr Shupai Steven Majee, said the major thrust of the project is to rehabilitate, and carry out works around Nyanyadzi River in order to close the gaps which had resulted in depressed water tables and flow rate.

He said the joint partnership between the Department of Agricultural Engineering Mechanisation, Farm Infrastructure Development in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development, and TSURO Trust came into being following the rolling out of a subsidised mechanised equipment hiring scheme, providing tractors for tillage of zero level contours for water harvesting purposes.

“After the Cyclone Idai, trees along Nyanyadzi River were destroyed, leaving the river without any cover. Coupled with heavy siltation, this resulted in declining river flow rate. Downstream communities ended up experiencing water challenges, and water conflicts in some areas,” he said.
Mr Majee added that under the project design, focus is on regenerating the canopy of the river, to work around recharging the water flow rate, water tables and incorporating livelihoods strengthening projects.

“Hangani is the source of Nyanyadzi River, and we thought it was important to catch as much water as possible within the watershed area so that we recharge the springs. Instead of witnessing excessive run-off washing away the soil and flooding the river sources, we thought we could sink the water into the ground, through the mechanised contours that are being constructed.

“Our idea is to lessen the burden on farmers because doing manual labour intensive contours is a torrid task, hence, we decided to bypass the labour intensive process through hiring the equipment,” added Mr Majee.

TSURO Trust has already started planting 10 000 water loving trees from Hangani, stretching along Nyanyadzi River to help recharge the water tables. This is expected to breathe a new life into Nyanyadzi River.

“We are incorporating livelihoods resilience projects in order for the communities to derive economic benefits, and this involves coming up with apiculture projects and fish farming along the river. This is meant to incentivise the communities to move away from stream bank cultivation,” said Mr Majee.

Chimanimani Rural District Council’s Ward 10 councillor Tinashe Shumba said the ground-breaking ceremony of contours marks the first step towards water harvesting, and regeneration, adding that it is a shot in the arm for farmers in terms of their preparedness for the 2024-2025 summer cropping season.

“The programme will help all farmers in terms of preparedness, considering that most of our farming fields had no contours due to the steep nature of the terrain. Without contours, the moisture content usually disappears very fast, and run-off was a huge problem in the area,” noted Councillor Shumba.

He expressed optimism that farmers will harvest water this year and improve moisture content which will translate to improved yields.

“We anticipate improved yields through the water harvesting techniques which have been put in place and more-so, farmers have also been greatly assisted,” said Councillor Shumba.

 

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