Water levels decline nationwide

Cathrine Biswick Herald Reporter
The water level in the country’s major storage dams has dropped significantly to 53 percent from a high of 63 percent in April with reservoirs in the northern part still holding sufficient volumes of water while the storage levels of dams in the southern part of the country has dropped to record lows, according to the latest Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) water report.

The Zinwa state of major dams report released recently indicates that all water catchment areas in the southern part now have less than normal water storage.

Water levels in Zimbabwe’s largest inland dam, Lake Mutirikwi in the southern province of Masvingo, have fallen sharply to 12,9 percent owing largely to an upsurge in demand for water for sugarcane irrigation, increased demand for water consumption in the city of Masvingo and poor inflows recorded last season.

Reservoir levels in dams in the same province now stand at 18,9 percent for Manjirenji dam and Bangala 7,3 percent, a situation that has created water crisis in the Lowveld farming area.

The worst affected part also includes the Gwayi catchment in which water reservoirs were now 48,2 percent against full holding capacity.
In this region, Insukamini water dam levels are now at 36,7 percent, Exchange 55,9 percent, Khami 80,8 percent, Mamande 8 percent and Shangani 55,8 percent.

The storage levels of dams supplying water to Harare and other surrounding areas are still comfortable with Lake Chivero and Manyame dam at 86 and 88 percent against the full reservoir level.

Mazvikadei Dam which sustains irrigation farming in Mashonaland West Province is almost full, standing at 92 percent. Mazowe Dam is low at 19 percent while Rufaro Dam in Marondera is 85 percent full.

In Manicaland, Osborne Dam is full and stands at 100,6 percent while Siya Dam which sometimes augments Manjirenji in the supply of water to the Lowveld sugarcane plantantions and industries is 26,7 percent full.

Mtshabezi Dam from which the Mtshabezi Pipeline draws water to augment water supply in Bulawayo is almost full, at 95 percent.