7 irrigation scheme projects abandoned

 Programme for Rural Irrigation Development (Pride) has abandoned seven of the 16 irrigation schemes construction project despite being part of the K62 billion budget approved for the initiative.

The six-year project, under the Ministry of Agriculture, was to construct 16 schemes in designated districts across the country by 2023.

Asked to confirm the abandonment, Pride communication specialist Felix Malamula only said the construction of the seven sites will be done in the next phase.

He said in a response to a questionnaire on Thursday: “We will not necessarily stop constructing. The schemes will be construed in the next phase of construction. What we are doing now is to concentrate on the first nine that do not need construction of dams.”

But an inside source confided in Nation on Sunday that the abandonment follows a feasibility study that showed the seven schemes would require construction of dams.

“The expectation was that the schemes would not need dams. However, the studies showed that the seven sites would not be functional without the dams. This led to the decision to shelve off the plans,” the source, who asked for anonymity, said.

The affected sites are Dwambazi in Nkhotakota, Nazombe in Chiradzulu, Mdenga in Balaka, Mpamba in Nkhata Bay, Kasimba and Mwenelondo in Karonga and Lupenga in Mzimba.

It was projected that once the schemes were completed; 5138 hectares of land would be added to the country’s irrigation system, according to Pride’s action framework.

Furthermore, Pride has said another stumbling block was resistance from communities who thought the project would lead to loss of their land.

Meanwhile, Malamula has said they have convinced them to approve the projects. He expressed optimism that they would finalise construction of the nine sites by December 2023 deadline.

“We have completed environmental and social impact assessments; feasibility studies and designs are in place. We have three schemes that are already under construction.

 “These are Matoponi in Zomba, Lingoni in Machinga and Wowo in Phalombe. We expect the contractors to finish construction works by November this year,” he said.

Pride, which is funded by the International Fund for Agriculture Development (Ifad), intends to contribute to the resilience of smallholder communities, as outlined in its Resettlement Action Framework.

It reads in part: “It will reduce

vulnerability to food insecurity  to climate change effects and to the vagaries of the market by enabling farmers to sustainably enhance their production levels to such a degree that they can provide for their household nutrition demands and deliver produce to viable markets.”,

In an interview yesterday, Ministry of Agriculture spokesperson Gracian Lungu said they are making efforts to ensure they secure funds for the completion of the abandoned projects.

“These schemes are in the National Irrigation Master Plan. The projected cost in that plan did not match the actual cost which followed latest designs and evaluation.

“During the programme’s midterm review held two years ago when the work had started, it was resolved that the money which was under Pride cannot satisfy construction of all the schemes; hence, the decision to isolate some and leave out others for now.

“Currently, the financier of the project Ifad has been informed about the situation and there are indications they might provide additional funds. So, we haven’t completely abandoned those projects,” he said.

Economic analyst Betchani Tchereni said the failure to implement the projects shows lack of planning on the part of the Ministry of Agriculture.

“In many cases we do the planning, but we don’t really bring in realism in terms of what exactly is on the ground. In fact, this happens in many projects and not only in agriculture but even in roads projects you find that there are always price adjustments. We should learn to be realistic,” he said.

Pride is a key project in the irrigation sector and President Lazarus Chakwera in his State of the Nation Address in Parliament barely a fortnight ago hyped it as crucial in enhancing agricultural productivity.

“Madam Speaker, the agriculture sector will continue to lead the GDP growth revolution in 2022 as government continues to implement irrigation programmes and projects such as the Shire Valley Transformation Programme, Programme for Rural Irrigation Development and Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project,” he said.