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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]

THE Government, in partnership with development agencies, is spearheading the establishment of sand abstraction projects along rivers around Zimbabwe to ensure villagers have access to water for domestic use and livestock.

This initiative seeks to mitigate the effects of drought, particularly in areas prone to cattle deaths due to water shortages.

During a recent visit to a sand abstraction project along Zhukwe River in Gwanda District as part of a livestock drought assessment, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Davis Marapira, emphasised the importance of these water supply strategies in preventing further livestock losses.

He noted that 900 cattle were lost in the Insiza and Gwanda districts last week alone due to water shortages.

The Zhukwe River project, implemented by World Vision in collaboration with the Government, has provided villagers with access to safe drinking water.

A garden is also being developed to support both income generation and food security, while cattle troughs are being constructed.

“We have had a lot of cattle deaths in Gwanda District. Last week alone, we lost about 900 cattle in Insiza and Gwanda districts. I am here to get first-hand information and assess whether we have any grass and water around so that we can come up with measures to mitigate these challenges,” said Deputy Minister Marapira.

“We are encouraging sand abstraction because, in some areas, the water table is very low and we can drill up to 300 metres without hitting water. However, by abstracting water from the sand, we can access it after just three metres.”

He urged the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) to harness this technique using solar energy to supply water for livestock, domestic use and income-generating activities.

Farmers were also encouraged to mobilise resources to build water troughs within 50 metres of the taps to ensure that cattle do not have to walk long distances for water.

Deputy Minister Marapira said reducing the distance animals walk to water points to at least three kilometres could significantly reduce livestock deaths.

Deputy Minister Davis Marapira

He said the Government has sourced 15 000 tonnes of silage from Kwekwe, which is being moved to ecological Regions Four and Five through the assistance of the Grain Marketing Board (GMB).

He urged farmers to mobilise resources together to collect silage for their animals.

Zhukwe Village head, Mr Amos Ndlovu, acknowledged the project’s benefits but expressed concerns over the availability of feed. He called for the distribution of feed at village level to ease the burden of transportation.

“We have benefitted from the silage distribution programme, and we are grateful to the Government for this. However, we are appealing to authorities to intensify the programme to ensure more feed is distributed,” said Mr Ndlovu.

In response to drought challenges, the Government is developing an 800km pasture greenbelt at the confluence of the Tuli and Shashe rivers in Gwanda District.

The project, supported by water pumps and reservoirs, will provide water for livestock, irrigation and domestic use.

It will also help to address the illegal movement of cattle between Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Additionally, the Livestock Growth Plan, launched in 2020, targets increasing the national herd from 5,5 million in 2021 to six million by next year.

As part of efforts to develop the agricultural sector and ensure food and nutrition security, the Government is working on fully utilising water bodies in the country to support animals and people, as well as harnessing and harvesting underground water.

The Government recently launched the livestock drought mitigation programme as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of drought on the country’s livestock sector. The drought mitigation programme includes the establishment of drought mitigation centres in all 1 620 rural wards.

These centres will be equipped with solar-powered boreholes, nutrition gardens and livestock feeding and water troughs.

The Government and its partners have also intensified the hay baling programme. Hay will be moved from provinces that have grass to provinces that require hay. — @DubeMatutu