George Maponga in Masvingo

The imminent spilling of Lake Mutirikwi  has been hailed as a boon for massive irrigation development in the Lowveld and surrounding areas where Government plans large scale irrigation of up to 200 000ha in line with Vision 2030.

Lake Mutirikwi, Zimbabwe’s second largest inland water body behind Tugwi-Mukosi, is now 95 percent full and inching towards spilling in the wake of incessant rains in the current rainy season.

The reservoir last spilled more than 20 years ago and prospects remain high it will fill up and spill in the next few weeks.

Lake Mutirikwi will join other dams such as Muzhwi, Bangala, Tugwi-Mukosi, Mushandike and Siya across Masvingo that started spilling several weeks ago after filling up.

The huge water volumes impounded in these dams is a major boon for irrigation development in Lowveld where besides  sugar cane, plans are also afoot to venture into fodder (lucerne grass) production and large-scale rearing, fruit trees plantations, cash crops and grain production using abundant water in the water bodies.

Zimbabwe National Water Authority(ZINWA) spokesperson Mrs Marjorie Munyonga yesterday confirmed Lake Mutirikwi’s imminent filling up.

She disclosed her organisation was ready to open flood gates at the water body commissioned in 1960.

“The dam(Lake Mutirikwi)is now 95 percent full raising its chances of spilling should the rains continue. However, now that the rains have slowed a bit, we now expect the dam to take a bit longer than earlier anticipated to fill up and spill.

“ZINWA remains ready to open the gates at the dam in the event of (Lake)Mutirikwi spilling,” said Mrs Munyonga.

The impending spilling of the dam means the Lowveld sugar cane plantations and City of Masvingo are well catered in terms of water supplies, leaving Tugwi-Mukosi and other dams to cater for other new irrigation projects.

Government this week gazetted a planned US$60 million irrigation project earmarked for 6 000ha in the Chilonga area in northern Chikombedzi in a partnership between a private investor and a communal lands community with Tugwi-Mukosi expected to provide the bulk of the water.

Provincial Agritex Officer Mr Aaron Muchazivepi noted that the filling up of Lake Mutirikwi joining other major dams puts Masvingo on the cusp of large scale irrigation development.

According to the Intergrated Lowveld Irrigaion Master Plan being developed by Government, Lake Mutirikwi will support a greenbelt in Masvingo East straddling over 3000ha.

“We are looking forward to irrigating 40 000ha when all Irrigation development is in place using water from Tugwi-Mukosi Dam only and this will cover fruit tree plantations, expanding sugarcane production, fodder crops and cash crops,” he said.

“The filling up of Lake Mutirikwi gives potential for irrigation development in the eastern and southern parts of Masvingo thereby increasing crop production in the province.”

Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister Ezra Chadzamira said the historic filling up of the country’s two biggest inland dams was a harbinger of better fortunes ahead in the sphere of crop irrigation.

He pointed that Lake Mutirikwi would now supply the bulk of water to irrigate cane fields while Tugwi-Mukosi is used to irrigate new upcoming projects.

The minister noted that the lucerne grass project was  part of the first steps to make sure the people in Masvingo start accruing benefits from their water bodies and rich fertile soils found especially in the Lowveld.