As construction of the multi-million million Kunzvi dam gathers pace, a resettlement model is transforming lives with 268 new homes already handed over to families who would otherwise have lost their ancestral land.
The mega-dam, located 14 kilometres south of Juru growth point on the Nyagwe River, is set to become one of the country’s largest inland reservoirs, with a storage capacity of 158.4 million cubic metres.
Assistant resident engineer, John Tangayi said the dam said the government has also introduced a new resettlement model under which displaced families are being provided with newly built houses instead of cash compensation.
"In the past, affected families were simply compensated financially after valuation of their properties,” Tangayo said during a media tour.
“However, that system presented several challenges. Under this project, the government is constructing replacement homes for the affected families to ensure a smoother and more sustainable resettlement process.”
Of the planned 435 houses, 268 have already been completed, while 90 residential stands were allocated this week to pave the way for construction of the remaining homes.
"The chiefs here said they did not want the graves to be inundated by the dam. They requested that they be exhumed and reburied," Tangayi said.
Once complete, the dam wall will stand 50.2 metres high and impound water to a maximum depth of 45 metres.
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The reservoir will cover nearly 985 hectares and extend approximately 8.5 kilometres upstream, drawing water from a 730-square-kilometre catchment.
In addition to the main dam wall, the project includes a 130-metre concrete spillway, outlet works incorporating a reinforced concrete intake tower linked to 1 000mm steel pipelines, and a balancing dam on the Nora River, where construction is already underway.
Engineers are also finalising plans for a mini-hydropower station that will generate electricity from the dam, while the 14-kilometre Njiru-Kunzvi access road is being upgraded to improve connectivity and stimulate local economic activity.
