By Sylvester Kumwenda

Dowa, March 25, Mana: President Lazarus Chakwera has commissioned the commencement of construction works of the 25 billion-litre capacity Kholongo Multipurpose Dam in Dowa, with a call for the country to invest in irrigation agriculture for sustainable food security and development.

Chakwera said Malawi has experienced intermittent levels of rainwater, a development which has brought mixed fortunes to the country's food security, hence the need to switch to irrigation.

"Low water levels have damaged our crops. High levels of water have also washed away our crops and we are in a state of emergency with 23 out of the 28 districts in Malawi at risk of food shortages. Therefore, one thing for sure is that we can no longer rely on rain-fed agriculture.

"It is for this reason that we must invest in irrigation agriculture, where we should be able to harvest water and use it for our irrigation activities to improve food security. That is why we are commissioning the construction of this multipurpose dam," he said.

The dam, which is being constructed at Kasese Village under Senior Chief Chakhaza, will carter for 1,507 hectares of irrigation land.

The 22-metre high and 1.1-kilometre long earth dam is also expected to serve 8.5 hectares of fish farms and other recreation activities.

Chakwera also said that as the country talks of a new Malawi under Agenda 2063, one critical issue to look at is the availability of potable water for people's good life.

"The dam will, therefore, also provide potable water to surrounding communities like Kasese, Mtiti and Mponela, with 140,000 people expected to benefit in terms of safe water consumption.

"Today is, as such, a very important day for people around Kasese, Madisi, Mponela, Mtiti and the rest of the country," said Chakwera.

He then called upon all involved contractors and partners to work with dedication, considering the magnitude of the project which is being financed by Malawi Government.

The launch also coincided with commemoration of World Water Day, aimed at raising awareness and tackling challenges facing the water sector which internationally falls on March 22.

Minister of Water and Sanitation Abida Mia said the objective of the project is to positively impact people and bring an era of prosperity to the communities.

"It is a significant step in promoting reliable access to water to communities. It will also provide sustainable income generation activities to people surrounding the communities, hence enhancing sustainable socioeconomic growth, which is a vision of government," she said.

She added that the flagship project represents collaboration between various sectors like irrigation, fisheries, and sanitation.

Mia then commended government for what she described as a huge investment in the project.

Speaking during the event, Chairperson of Central Region Water Board (CRWB), Eddison Mombera, said the launch marks a significant milestone in the board's quest of providing potable water to its catchment areas.

He, however, said it was important for the board to secure more funding for its activities, especially at the time when the board has suffered huge infrastructure damage.

"As CRWB, we are however committed to ensure all people have access to potable water, and we remain firm in implementing the President's vision," he said.

Parliamentarian for Dowa, Ngala Arthur Mabvuto Sungitsa, in his remarks commended the President for fulfilling his promises to the people of Dowa and the country at large.

He said the dam will not only improve water sanitation and irrigation activities, but also improve the overall socio-economic status of the people.

"It will open up small and medium scale business opportunities amongst locals. It will also open tourism activities as people from outside the country will be interested to visit the dam. We also expect a boom in social amenities around the community. So, we are very excited about the whole project," he said.

Speaking earlier, Senior Chief Chakhaza said the project will solve huge water challenges facing his area and surrounding communities. He therefore asked the communities to take care of the project.