eBusiness Weekly
Dam water levels continue on a steady rise on the back of the rains being received in different parts of the country and improved river flows, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has said.
In an update, Zinwa corporate communications and marketing manager Marjorie Munyonga said as at Monday, the national dam level average had risen to 49,2 percent reflecting a 0,88 percent improvement from January 13.
“Gwayi Catchment has a dam level average of 43,5 percent, Manyame Catchment 74,1 percent, Mazowe Catchment 76,5 percent, Mzingwane 45,6 percent, Runde 39,9 percent, Sanyati 48,9 percent and Save 53,7 percent. The national dam level average however remains lower than the 64,2 percent expected during this period of the year,” she said.
Zinwa also noted an improvement in flows in the Zambezi, Limpopo, Save, Odzi, Runde, Devure, Pungwe, Musengezi and Mazowe Rivers.
Zimbabwe has been experienced shortages of electricity due to reduced generating capacity at Kariba Dam owing to low water levels drought. Regardless of the recorded improvements, Munyonga reiterated that water remained a finite resource which needed to be managed quite efficiently and sparingly.
“Water users across the board are therefore encouraged to practice water conservation, which will help stretch the limited available water resources longer and also assist users in keeping their bills down. The Authority also implores all those using water from Zinwa managed dams to ensure that their use is in accordance with the provisions of the Water Act, which requires such users to have water abstraction agreements entered into with Zinwa,” she said.
Meanwhile, Zinwa is working to improve access to portable water by rural communities in water stressed areas by rehabilitating boreholes.
“To this end, the Authority has successfully rehabilitated 109 boreholes in water stressed districts of Buhera, Chipinge, Rushinga, Mwenezi, Chivi and Nyanga. The target is to repair and bring back to functionality 933 boreholes in the seven provinces of Mashonaland East, Manicaland, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and the Midlands,” said Munyonga.
Water remains critical if the country is to implement sustainable agriculture.
During the previous farming season nearly all dams recorded low levels that threatened irrigated crops. — NewZiana/BW.
