Government has been urged to take advantage of Siya Dam, which runs between Bikita and Zaka, to alleviate the growing tide of hunger that afflicts thousands of families annually.

The two districts are frequently plagued by food shortages owing to poor rains, heightening calls for a shift to irrigation.

Zaka Central legislator Cde Davison Svuure exhorted Government and its development partners to facilitate the full utilisation of water in Siya Dam, which is partially being used to irrigate sugar cane fields, some kilometres away.

He said the dam was a major resource that could be used to address crippling water challenges at Jerera Growth Point and turn areas downstream into a green belt. Cde Svuure said people had only themselves to blame if they did not make use of important natural resources in their areas to turn around their lives.

He made the remarks last week at an integrated environment programme which was officiated by First Lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa at Chemvuu Dam.

“We have many resources within our area which we can use to boost agriculture production,” said Cde Svuure.

He said people could mitigate the effects of the prevailing drought by cultivating crops under irrigation using water from Nyatare and Chemvuu dams, and many others in the area.

“The advantage of using water from Siya is that the dam is at a high place and its water can be distributed to parts of the two districts using gravity,” he said.

He said it was important to involve traditional leaders and members of the community when implementing projects that affect their well-being.

Cde Svuure said Zaka had a lot of investment opportunities like irrigation based farming, tourism and infrastructure development.

“We need to have a serious self-introspection as members of the community and identify areas where we have potential and where we are getting it wrong to achieve our goals,” he said. “We can do more if we stick to a culture of consulting each other.”

Zaka Business Centre and Jerera Growth Point draw water from Nyatare Dam, whose supply is limited.