Nyanyadzi River recharging underway

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 on the lifespan of Nyanyadzi River which oflate has been under threat and in the same process, we are assisting the downstream communities who depend on the river source for their livelihoods,” noted Mr Magama.

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

“Our Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development officials are busy pegging conservation works within the fields and this is followed by the mechanised construction works of contours and this is where the Government has come on-board with the provision of mechanised equipment to ease the burden associated with manual construction works, this 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 2024 is a drought year, there is great anticipation that on the onset of the rain season we are likely to face high rate of soil erosion. The project comes in handy to help protect the soils, catchment area and regenerate the water tables in Nyanyadzi river as well,” said the Provincial Mechanised Engineer.

Speaking at the same occasion TSURO Trust Project Coordinator Mr Shupai Steven Majee said the major thrust is to rehabilitate and carry out works around the Nyanyadzi river in order to close the gaps which had resulted in depressed water tables and flow rate.

He indicated that the Joint partnership between the Department of Agricultural Engineering Mechanisation, Farm Infrastructure Development, in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development came into being following the rolling out of a subsidized mechanised equipment hiring scheme, providing tractors for tillage of zero level contour’s for water harvesting purposes.

“After the Cyclone Idai, the trees along the Nyanyadzi River were destroyed, leaving the river bare without any cover, and coupled with heavy siltation, that resulted in declining river flow rate leading the downstream communities experiencing water challenges and water conflicts in the same process,” he said.

Mr Majee added that under the project design focus is on regenerating the canopy of the river, to work around recharging 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 soils 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 stated planting 10 000 water loving trees from Hangani stretching along Nyanyadzi river to help recharge the water tables and this will breathe a new life into the Nyanyadzi River

“We are incorporating livelihoods resilience projects in order for the communities to derive economic benefits and this involves putting apiculture projects, fish farming, bee keeping along the river source as a way to incentive the communities to move away from stream bank cultivation,” said Majee.

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

”The program will help all farmers in terms of preparedness, and considering that most of our farming fields had no contours due mainly to the steep state of terrain, that made the manual contour construction a difficult process altogether.

Without contours the moisture content usually disappeared very fast and run off was a huge problem in the area,” noted Councillor Shumba.

He expressed optimism that this year, farmers will harvest water, improve moisture content and reduce soil erosion and automatically that should translate to improved yields.

“We anticipate improved yields through the water harvesting techniques which have been put in place and moreso farmers have also been greatly assisted,” said Councillor Shumba.“We realised the need and importance of protecting the catchment area in order to regenerate the water tables and improve on the lifespan of Nyanyadzi River which oflate has been under threat and in the same process, we are assisting the downstream communities who depend on the river source for their livelihoods,” noted Mr Magama.

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

“Our Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development officials are busy pegging conservation works within the fields and this is followed by the mechanised construction works of contours and this is where the Government has come on-board with the provision of mechanised equipment to ease the burden associated with manual construction works, this 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 2024 is a drought year, there is great anticipation that on the onset of the rain season we are likely to face high rate of soil erosion. The project comes in handy to help protect the soils, catchment area and regenerate the water tables in Nyanyadzi river as well,” said the Provincial Mechanised Engineer.

Speaking at the same occasion TSURO Trust Project Coordinator Mr Shupai Steven Majee said the major thrust is to rehabilitate and carry out works around the Nyanyadzi river in order to close the gaps which had resulted in depressed water tables and flow rate.

He indicated that the Joint partnership between the Department of Agricultural Engineering Mechanisation, Farm Infrastructure Development, in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development came into being following the rolling out of a subsidized mechanised equipment hiring scheme, providing tractors for tillage of zero level contour’s for water harvesting purposes.

“After the Cyclone Idai, the trees along the Nyanyadzi River were destroyed, leaving the river bare without any cover, and coupled with heavy siltation, that resulted in declining river flow rate leading the downstream communities experiencing water challenges and water conflicts in the same process,” he said.

Mr Majee added that under the project design focus is on regenerating the canopy of the river, to work around recharging 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 soils 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 stated planting 10 000 water loving trees from Hangani stretching along Nyanyadzi river to help recharge the water tables and this will breathe a new life into the Nyanyadzi River

“We are incorporating livelihoods resilience projects in order for the communities to derive economic benefits and this involves putting apiculture projects, fish farming, bee keeping along the river source as a way to incentive the communities to move away from stream bank cultivation,” said Majee.

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

”The program will help all farmers in terms of preparedness, and considering that most of our farming fields had no contours due mainly to the steep state of terrain, that made the manual contour construction a difficult process altogether.

Without contours the moisture content usually disappeared very fast and run off was a huge problem in the area,” noted Councillor Shumba.

He expressed optimism that this year, farmers will harvest water, improve moisture content and reduce soil erosion and automatically that should translate to improved yields.

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

Read More at: https://www.manicapost.co.zw/nyanyadzi-river-recharging-underway/

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