Dikes on Boa Vista already retaining water for agriculture 13 September 2012
Farmers in the north of the Island of Boa Vista can now make use of rain water to irrigate their plantations, as the 10 water retention dikes currently in the final phase of construction in the Campo da Serra district of the island have already managed to store a considerable volume of water, according to the local Ministry of Rural Development delegate.
A large portion of the water being used for irrigation in the northern zone of the island comes from recent rainfall. The water, which for years farmers would watch run off, wasted, into the sea, is now being retained thanks to the new dikes. The water represents the first tangible result of the construction of ten dikes in the region. Indeed, construction work on the infrastructures in Campo da Serra is yet to be concluded.
This investment on the part of the Ministry of Rural Development calls for the retention of at least 1,000 cubic meters of water per day. If rains are plentiful next year, it is hoped that there will be even more water for irrigation, given that by then work on the dikes will have been concluded, according to local Ministry of Rural Development delegate Osvaldo Vieira.
The Ministry of Rural Development delegation plans to invest even more in water mobilization and retention systems on Boa Vista by way of projects aimed at lending impetus to the agricultural sector in order to respond to the demands arising from the island’s considerable tourist and hotel industry. The delegation also hopes to help minimize the cost of basic products, which on Boa Vista cost more than in the rest of Cape Verde, given the fact that vegetables and fruits are transported from other islands in the archipelago.
Cidade da Praia
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