By Peter Tanyanyiwa

The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) says the US$87 million Vungu Dam project in Silobela, Midlands province, has presents the local residents and the country at large with a numerous benefits, ranging from irrigation, clean water supply, employment creation and a boost in the tourism sector.

The Vungu Dam project tender was awarded to Grindale Engineering late last year, and the contractor has reassured the nation that they are committed to completing the dam within the agreed 36 months.

The site was officially handed over to contractor on January 5, 2022.

The Vungu Dam project will contribute to national development and support sustainable livelihoods by irrigating 1,200 hectares from 118 million cubic meters of water that will be available once the dam is complete.

The dam will also provide drinking water to a local business center and surrounding communities, and create jobs for local communities.

Vungu dam project ZINWA resident engineer Mr Fanuel Zivave gave an insight into the dam structure and the immense benefits awaiting the nation.

“The dam is being built crossing the Vungu river, it will facilitate irrigation, portable water and water for industrial use at crossroads business center in Silobela. The dam will also facilitate water sports, including fishing among others, and this will also boost our tourism sector as a country.

“The scope of the works ranges from the construction of the dam, which has the length of 2.6 kilometres, the height of 30 meters, the construction of the spillway, which will be 120 meters, which will lay on the left bank, and we are also going to construct some outlets of the dam, which we will use to discharge water that is needed on the downstream side, and of course for the irrigation,” he said.

“The irrigation areas are on the downstream and they were already identified, we have three irrigation areas to be irrigated by water from this dam once completed, the areas are Ndove area, that area is going to have 788 hectares of land that will be irrigated, we have Nyana, 367 hectares, and Nyakwati with 345 hectares to be irrigated. These are big areas, so much that once we start, we are going to create a greenbelt in this district and the benefits will spread to national level.

“We also have employment creation, many of the workers on this project is are from the local communities. Looking at the water treatment plant, many of the locals don’t have clean water, they will start getting clean safe water once the dam is completed. The locals will also have fish and they can sell and get a living, some may even send their children to school,” said Zivave.

So far on site Grindale Engineering has three excavators, two dozers, two graders, 11 tippers, a roller compactor, concrete pump, three pickup light vehicles to be used by site staff.

The contractor also has 52 workers, general and senior staff. ZINWA as the engineers of the project they have 18 people on site as they are monitoring the progress.

The project cost is $87 million dollars, but currently the contractor has been advanced $2.6 million dollars, and in terms of advance the client still needs to add more as the contractor is supposed to get at least 10 percent of the agreed amount.

The community is supporting the project, together with the local chiefs, councillors and legislators, they are in support of the Government’s plan.

Vungu Dam Grindale Engineering project manager Mr Gerald Mudzamiri said that they are going to employ more people and more opportunities are being opened as they progress with the dam construction.

“We are doing mobilisation as and when we need, in terms of human capital we are estimating that we are going to employ about 400 plus workers, we are opening new sections as move forward, currently there are three excavators, but when the project is at full swing we would have seven excavators, and we would have about 30 tipper trucks.

“As we move, we are opening up new sections and employing more locals,” he said.

“The water treatment plant will serve the locals, the communities close to the Vungu dam have no access to water, when the dam is completed, they will be able to get clean water. So far, we have put two boreholes which are temporarily serving the community,” said Mudzamiri.

The construction of the great dam comes at a time when the Second Republic is building dams across the country to deal with water problems and climate-resilient the agricultural sector, which remains the mainstay of the country’s economy.

Grindale Engineering is a wholly owned indigenous company established in 1995 and has done extensive work for government, the private sector and local authorities.

The company has four business segments that include engineering services, civil engineering, water and irrigation, retail and Stian valve manufacturing.