Chivi dams ruined
TATENDA CHIKARA IN MASVINGO
Several dams in Chivi district in Masvingo Province have been ruined by massive siltation attributed to irresponsible human activities amid revelations livestock are running out of water to drink, Business Times can report.
Villagers said activities such as brick moulding and farming near dams have led to siltation.
“We are now having problems with our dam Muchenami. It is now filled up with sand that it can no longer hold enough water till another raining season. We admit that at times it’s us who cause siltation. However, farming and brick moulding are our only source of living as we cannot get formal jobs,” a villager from Makuvire village in Ward 30 said.
Another villager from Virira village in Ward 11 weighed in saying the nearby Virira dam was now closing in that scooping was the only solution as their cattle are going to be affected.
“As villagers we only cry for our cattle, they end up going far in search of water,” the villager said.
District Development Coordinator for Chivi district, Innocent Matingwina said the villagers needed to be educated on the causes of siltation as human behaviour was largely causing dams to fill up.
“We always urge the farmers to cultivate more than 70m away from dams or even human settlement that is upstream that can help avoid siltation. We need to educate villagers on what causes the dams to fill up because in most cases it is because of poor farming methods,” Matingwina said.
He said they would scoop the dams once the district gets devolution or green climate funds.
The majority of Chivi villagers survive on gardens located nearby dams or rivers.
