Mutharika launches K6 billion dam project

President Professor Peter Mutharika on Tuesday officially launched construction works for a multipurpose dam in Bwanje Valley in the area Senior Chief Kachindamoto in Dedza which is budgeted for K6.4 billion.

President Mutharika being briefed about Bangwe  river dam- Pics: Govati Nyirenda Mana.
Bwanje river dam project, The Dam will boost irrigation scheme in Bwanje Dedza. Pics: Govati
Nyirenda Mana.

Speaking after laying a foundation stone for the project, Mutharika said the dam is going to be one of its kind in the country’s history and is also going to be the largest in the whole Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region.

He said the dam is intended to improve availability of water for irrigation in the Bwanje irrigation scheme which covers an area of 800 hectares of land.

“The dam whose construction we are launching today will ensure adequate water supply throughout the year. Currently, this is not the case, as only about a quarter of the scheme is irrigated during the dry season due to low water flows,” he said.

Mutharika said the country needs to intensify irrigation farming in order to become a predominantly producing and exporting nation saying rain-fed agriculture is not reliable due to climatic shocks.

“For us to turn Malawi into a producing and exporting country, we need to develop our agriculture sector. But the problem has been our water management and irrigation system.

“The country’s agriculture is mostly rain-fed hence our production is vulnerable to climate change. When rainfall fails, our crops fail,” Mutharika said.

He said government has put in place necessary mechanisms for promoting irrigation farming to enhance food security in the country and help smallholder farmers grow their incomes.

“We now have a National Irrigation Policy to guide our actions better than ever. And we are expanding and diversifying power generation for us to pump huge amounts of water for long distances,” he said.

The dam is designed to be 40 meters high and approximately 150 meters long with a storage capacity of over 500 million cubic liters, according to Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Agrey Massi, who spoke earlier.

In his remarks, European Union (EU) Ambassador to Malawi, Marchel German, said the country needs to invest in management of catchment areas and ensure more trees are planted to conserve water.

The dam construction is being funded by EU and the first phase is expected to be completed by December 2017 while its second phase will be finalized in 2019.

The Bwanje irrigation scheme was established in 1999 and is mainly synonymous with large scale production of rice.

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Kalekeni
6 years ago

Koma dziko lathu tizingokhalira ngongole, zoona dam 40 by 15ometres mpakana K6.4 billion? Chitsime chimenecho ngakhale kupita pa nseu (pa labour) akhoza kukakumba anyamata ndi khasu. Ganizani bwino abwana, ndi company yiti yomwe yapereka quotation yimeneyo. Dziko liribe ndalama. yikani ma torget, ma camera mumseu kuti boma lidzipeza ndalama

Rift Valley
Rift Valley
6 years ago

Mkango ukasowa nyama umadya udzu.
All the hullabaloo for a foundation stone for this chicken project?

mo
mo
6 years ago

40meters high and 150meters long basi?

Chemjambe
Chemjambe
6 years ago

These are the kind of projects we must eager to implement as a country not Shire inland port projects-like

Dr Akweni Mulanje West
Dr Akweni Mulanje West
6 years ago

I can see Black Mamba

Thinktank
Thinktank
6 years ago

Just do it.Hoodwinking malawians that development is taking place.???This thing of “launching” is redudant.It is mediocre kind of running govt affairs.Why not just wait for opening ceremony.aThis just publicity stunt.. creating the appearance of doing something.I call it mediocrity.

Queen
6 years ago

This is what Malawians are looking for, Agriculture is the only sure hope for Malawi

CHIMVQ
CHIMVQ
6 years ago

Za ma foundation stone
Izi Asssaaa

Sizomwezija anakayika
Foundation stone zina ku
Mpotoku kwa anzathuku za
University airport ndi stadium ??

Tiziwonanga !!

Blessed Banda
Blessed Banda
6 years ago

Bodzatu iri. SADC Region kuli Caborabassa, and Kariba Dams. Bwanji osangoti mMalawi? Even in Malawi, will this dam that can only supply water for irrigation of 800 ha bigger than Mulunguzi Dam? This is terrible from the Head of State who is a Professor. He can’t even google before reading his speech in public. Bingu was very aware of his surrounding than this man.

NJATONGA
6 years ago

Komadi Malawi Kwacha inatha mphanvu K6.4 billion 150 meters?

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