Chapter 544 Kuihe Arch Dam
Planning a colony is not something that can be done overnight; it requires preparation. However, in order to prevent any unexpected events, the sooner you start, the better. Colonization requires shamelessness; get it first and it will be easier to deal with later.
This is basically the routine of most colonizers, especially the great powers, who are best at making things a fait accompli. However, due to the strength of the colonizers, they have no choice but to accept it.
…
Farabana is a village in the northern part of Matabele Province (Zimbabwe).
With East Africa's focused development of Matabele Province, Matabele Province has become more populated. Of course, under the current national conditions in East Africa, it still seems very empty, and the villages are relatively far apart.
However, the situation is the opposite around cities. As a relatively advanced system, cities require more division of labor and cooperation, so the villages next to cities are actually closer.
Although East Africa is vast and sparsely populated, road construction has not fallen behind at all, so transportation is relatively convenient. If it were five or six years ago, there would not even be a dirt road, which would have been really difficult. However, East Africa has one good thing, that is, the climate is mainly savannah, so it is not too difficult to develop, and it is especially suitable for cavalry activities.
There are quite a few horses in East Africa now, about 800,000 or so. However, compared with such a large grassland area in East Africa, the number is still far from enough, especially compared with Mexico and Brazil, which have similar climates.
Both Mexico and Brazil have tropical savanna climates, but the area of the tropical savanna climate region is not as large as that of East Africa. However, the number of horses in Mexico and Brazil ranks second and third in the Americas respectively, with the United States ranking first.
The number of horses and cattle in East Africa is not at the same level, which is related to East Africa's agricultural policies.
Currently, East Africa mainly promotes ox plowing. After all, horses were introduced from Eurasia and are not yet adaptable to the African climate. East Africa is also actively cultivating its own native horse breeds. When East Africa was cultivating its own horse breeds, it also directly introduced a batch from Mexico and Brazil.
Cows are easier to raise than horses, and the cost of raising cattle is lower than that of raising horses. Farming requires endurance, and horses lose weight quickly due to continuous high-intensity farming during the farming season. However, cows have strong endurance as long as they are supplemented with enough grass and some grains.
At the same time, the immigration attributes of East Africa also require East Africa to vigorously promote oxen, because cattle are easier to control than horses. As the saying goes, "lead the cow by the nose." However, it is not so easy to control horses. Horses are more delicate and have a fierce temperament. They need to be well raised and managed, and the investment is relatively large. Of course, the speed of horses gives them important military attributes.
Many immigrants in East Africa, in the words of the previous life, were from the "extremely poor" class, and cattle and horses were the valuable property of landlords and noble lords. Rich peasants and self-employed farmers might be able to afford to raise them, but such people would not come to East Africa.
Therefore, most of the East African immigrants have no experience in operating large livestock for farming. Fortunately, East Africa is a collective agriculture country, and there are people who know how to use and raise oxen. If they are distributed and used as a makeshift method, it is not a difficult task, and gradually the rest of the people will learn how to do it too.
The village of Farabana is located deep inland. The policy of replacing slaves with livestock has not yet been fully implemented, but as the livestock industry in East Africa has boomed, some livestock have been allocated to be used along with the slaves.
The level of rural development in Matabele is certainly not as good as that in the Central Province, but the conditions are no worse than in other areas.
The main reason is the policy. Matabele Province is positioned as an industrial province, so the East African government has invested a lot here. Three steel mills have been built, and they are all next to the central railway, which makes resource scheduling convenient.
The distribution of resources in Matabele Province is very interesting. It is along the Central Railway, which is the mineralized belt in the central part of Matabele Province. Therefore, once the Central Railway is opened, it directly opens up the Ren and Du meridians of industrial development in Matabele Province.
Relying on the three steel mills, Matabele's other industrial developments are also relatively good in East Africa. For example, agricultural tools no longer need to be transported from other provinces.
The main minerals in East Africa are concentrated, but there are small mines in other regions as well, they are just not counted. Industrial investment in East Africa tends to be in the form of large factories, so industry is distributed geographically, and steel in some areas without large mines needs to be transferred from other provinces.
In other words, resource utilization in East Africa is insufficient, but this also has its advantages. After all, small mines and handicraft workshops have no technical advantages and their utilization rates are relatively low. In addition, East Africa lacks professional talent, so setting up large enterprises is actually beneficial to national management.
June is the dry season in Matabele Province, and water conservancy project construction in East Africa is also relatively prosperous during the rainy season.
There is also a small water conservancy project under construction in the Farabana village area, namely the Kuihe Arch Dam Project.
The Kwe River Arch Dam is a type of dam used to intercept river water, but its function is not to cut off the river. Instead, it is to build a dam of medium height in the riverbed so that the river water will not flow away in vain during the dry season, and when the river water rises in the rainy season, it will flood the dam and flow into the tributaries of the Zambezi River. Its function is somewhat similar to that of a reservoir, but it does not hinder the flow of river water.
"The Kuihe Arch Dam Project is a project that the higher-level government attaches great importance to. The Kuihe River is an important irrigation river in Chisang Town. After three months of hard work, I declare that the Kuihe Arch Dam is officially completed." The mayor of Chisang Town came here in person to express his condolences to the front-line engineering workers.
"In the future, during the dry season, most of the water in the Kui River will be guaranteed to remain in the river, making it much more convenient for people to use water during the dry season. At the same time, the Kui River arch dam can also serve as a bridge, making it easier for people to travel."
"During the rainy season, the river will flood here. If you are in a hurry, you can pass through here, but the river is too strong, so you must pay attention to safety and don't try it lightly."
"Village Chief Hans, your village should pay special attention to November every year. That is when the rainy season comes. The river water rises at any time. You must pay attention to the children in the village and don't let them play nearby. Not only that, but also the government area of Kuihe River should pay attention to safety."
Hans: "Don't worry! Mayor, I would have paid attention even if you didn't tell me. I've been in the army before, and I know a lot about the rainy season in East Africa. I've also responded to calls from my superiors and educated these new immigrants, so I know what's going on."
"Then I'm relieved. The flooding of the river during the rainy season is no joke. Previously, when Bumisir Village was repairing the river, a sudden flood from upstream swept away several black slaves. Fortunately, they were black slaves, otherwise they would have been punished."
Hans: "Don't worry, I will pay attention."
"One more thing, this Kuihe Arch Dam is built in your village, so its future management will be handed over to you. If you find any major problems, report them in time. If minor problems can be solved, you can solve them yourself. The city and the town will come to inspect the quality of the project from time to time, so you can't make any big mistakes."
What the mayor of Chisang Town said sounds very serious, but it is actually true. The projects in East Africa are all made of genuine materials. The Kuihe Arch Dam will not have any problems in the next ten or eight years. If it is properly maintained, it is normal for it to last for hundreds of years.
As for inspections by higher-level governments, no one would go to a small place like Farabana Village for no reason, and the mayor of Chisang Town also said that inspections are conducted irregularly, which may be once a year or once every few years.
However, the Kuihe Arch Dam affects the entire Kuihe River. Although the Kuihe River is a very inconspicuous small river, it has an important impact on the agriculture of Chisang Town. It is not just a matter for Farabana Village itself. This is why the mayor of Chisang Town attaches great importance to this project.
(End of this chapter)
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