by Grace Chekai
The Tugwi-Mukosi dam full master plan, which has been work in progress since 2016, is expected to be completed by 31 March 2021, Harare Post has learnt.
A contact in the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works revealed that the work to produce the Tugwi-Mukosi dam master plan was tasked to State Universities this year.
“The Tugwi-Mukosi developments are results of work carried out by State Universities. The Ministry of Local Government and Public Works mandated a consortium of State Universities in September 2020 to carry out the work on the master plan.
“The master plan is said to be backdated to March 2020 but because there is a legal requirement to gazette certain proposals for periods up to 60 days,” said the contact.
She revealed that the concept of master plan would be produced by the consortium of State Universities by 30 November this year.
The contact further revealed that the irrigation plan to be used is being worked out by the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ).
The contact said the master plan would include projects like irrigation, game park, power generation, horticulture, fisheries, hotels and conference room.
The dam which has a potential to irrigate 40 000 hectares, will be a big relief to the Mutirikwi Dam which has been supplying water to Masvingo City and irrigation in the low veld.
The contact revealed that Tugwi-Mukosi's anchor projects would be sugar cane estates. She added that due to the adequate supply of water in the Tugwi-Mukosi area, sugar production is expected to increase, resulting in renewable energy increase.
“Currently, Greenfuels has a power generation capacity of 18MW, so due to the adequate supply of water supplies by the Tugwi-Mukosi dam, sugar cane producers will be able to increase production in renewable energy,” said the contact.
An economic analyst has commended this development saying that if the Tugwi-Mukosi master plan is completed, it will result in job creation in the sugar cane plantations as well as the coming in of investors to develop other projects in tourism, horticulture, energy and fisheries.
