Cyclone stalls work on Marowanyati Dam

CYCLONE Idai, which ravaged the country 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 complete before the beginning of the rainy season. The dam has already stored about 33 cubic metres of water since its construction.

The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) engineer, 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.
“We had to make some makeshift infrastructure and reconstruct a bridge that takes us to the dam. We really felt the impact of the cyclone,” he said.

Eng Katsande said they are left with putting final touches on the spillway, which is also almost complete and also completing work at the D-Tunnel. The D-Tunnel carries pipes that take water from the dam’s outlet valve and supplies water to irrigation schemes and houses at Murambinda Growth Point and other areas.

“Once the spillway and D-Tunnel are done, it means the dam would be 100 percent complete. But as we speak, the growth point and irrigations scheme are already benefiting.

“Other people are already benefiting through fishing from the dam,” he said.
Eng Katsande said that about 1 250 hectares of land is earmarked to go under irrigation after the dam has been completed.