Muchekeranwa dam is on the boundary of Makoni and Marondera districts. It is across the Macheke river, a major tributary of the Save River. Additionally, it is on the boundary of the Manicaland and Mashonaland East Provinces. The main purpose of the dam is for irrigation and water supply to surrounding communities.
Muchekeranwa dam uses
The dam is serving one of the country’s universities, the Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (MUAST). The university will benefit from the dam which has the potential to irrigate 2 250 hectares. Also, it has a capacity of 75 million cubic metres of water. Muchekeranwa dam is a high-impact and result-based community project. It also has a Community Fisheries Scheme and an irrigation project. There is also the construction of the Muchekeranwa-Wenimbi pipeline in Mashonaland East Province, which will benefit from water from this dam. Water from this pipeline will ease water shortages to surrounding areas.
Moreover, Muchekeranwa dam will assist MUAST in its initiatives towards setting up an industrial park. This will in turn enable the university to contribute towards developmental goals and subsequently improve the gross domestic product (GDP) of the nation. MUAST is an agriculture university, and an industrial park will aid in the research of best agricultural practices. Also, it will give them an opportunity to encourage students to innovate and bring solutions to some of the issues the industry is facing.
Communities and MUAST benefits
Additionally, the establishment of the Fisheries Scheme at Dozmary Farm will contribute towards the overall national agriculture performance. Furthermore, it will enhance food and nutrition security within surrounding communities. Muchekeranwa dam will also help create wealth and employment as well as overarching empowerment for the students and the communities. Moreover, the scheme will improve the rural economies of benefiting communities. This will in turn improve the socio-economic status of the communities it serves.
In addition, there will be development of related water and irrigation infrastructure. This in turn ensures the continuous availability of water for irrigating Dozmary Farm. MUAST School of Agriculture benefits from this farm and access to water will be throughout the year. Overall, Muchekeranwa dam will boost agricultural growth and increase production for the university. It will also improve productivity and profitability for the University and the nation at large. This project is one of the dam construction projects happening in Zimbabwe.
