By Salome Gangire

Neno, August 10, Mana: Group Village Head (GVH) Tsenjerani of Neno District in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Dambe has hailed construction of Tsenjerani Irrigation Scheme saying it would improve livelihood of her subjects.

She was speaking Wednesday during the handover of a contractor, UNIK Construction Engineering Limited who has been hired to undertake the construction of Tsenjerani irrigation scheme to the communities under the Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP).

Tsenjerani said the 15 hectares’ irrigation scheme would enable her subjects scale up irrigation activities as they were irrigating on one and half hectares of land which would lead to increased crop yields and more income to the communities.

 “The irrigation scheme will enable the communities to scale up crop production as the scheme has more land which means the communities will attain food security and more income through crop sales,” she said.

Director of Planning and Development (DPD) for Neno District Council, Charles Lomoni said the irrigation scheme would transform people lives as the irrigation scheme would scale up farming activities taking place along Mfundazi River.

“We hope that once completed many people will benefit with economic activities as they will be growing different types of crops for consumption and sell hence their livelihood will greatly improve,” he said.

Lomoni said the communities would benefit economically during the construction of the scheme as some of them would be employed as casual labourers.

The DPD cautioned the communities against vandalising and stealing construction materials saying the vice was detrimental to development.

Representative of the Contracting Unit, Garikayi Chidziya assured the communities that they would ensure to complete the construction works within the specified period of time which is one year.

District Irrigation Officer for Neno Austin Ndengu said under Tsenjerani Irrigation Scheme, a weir would be constructed which would have main pipeline with secondary canals and hydrants where farmers would be pumping water for irrigation.

MWASIP District Project Coordinator for Neno, Vincent Sambuka said the construction of Tsenjerani Irrigation Scheme falls under MWASIP component of infrastructure development.