Communities of Chitokoto in Traditional Authority Jaravikuba in Mzimba have applauded government for supporting them with a K30 million Solar Powered Irrigation Scheme Project, which they hope will ease food insecurity challenges in the area once completed.
The five-year project, financed by World Bank through Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) Project, is expected to cover five hectares of land with a beneficiary target of about 10 villages in Kasitu East Ward.
Speaking on Monday when Mmbelwa District Council officials handed over the project site to contractor MM Engineering Services, Mulumuzana Zakeyu Harawa said communities will be relieved of food shortages as they would be able to grow and harvest their crops during dry season.
“This area is very flat and surrounded by rivers and mountains, as such, each year we experience heavy runoffs and floods which wash away our crops, this makes it difficult for the people to grow crops during rainy season, which creates food insecurity, “Harawa said.
Ward Councilor for Kasitu East Ward, Kingsley Khowoya, said the irrigation scheme will, through multiplier effect, reduce poverty in the area as some of the produce realised from the scheme will be sold.
