Minister impressed with Bwanje dam progress

Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Joseph Mwanamvekha says he is impressed with the progress of work at Bwanje Valley Dam construction site in Dedza.

He made the remarks when he visited the construction site in Mtakataka on Friday.

“I should commend Plem Construction for the work that is being done here. So far, we are moving at a good pace which shows that we are going to meet deadline come end June 2018,” said Mwanamvekha.

He added that Bwanje dam construction is a very big project in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development which, once completed, will go a long way in promoting irrigation farming in the district.

In her remarks, legislator for the area, Juliana Lunguzi, expressed gratitude for the minister’s visit, saying it showed how important the dam is to the ministry and the country as a whole.

She further asked the contractors to add some classroom blocks at Livinji Junior Primary School to make it a full primary school as corporate social responsibility of the project.

The project, which started in June, 2016 is expected to end in June this year. It will help to irrigate part of the 800 hectares at Bwanje Irrigation Scheme and other new irrigation sites to be identified.

Traditional Authority Kachindamoto was thankful to government for allocating the project in her area, saying it would not only help in irrigation, but also beautify the area.

Mwanamvekha also visited Bwanje Irrigation Scheme where he assured Bwanje cooperative farmers that government would find good markets for their rice.

Once completed, Bwanje Valley Dam will be the largest in the country.