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Tinomuda Chakanyuka, Sunday News Reporter
The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has embarked on an emergency drought mitigation programme, augmenting water supply in areas that are facing critical water shortages.
A number of areas in the country are facing acute water shortages as a result of the little rains received in the 2015/16 rainy season. Zinwa corporate communications and marketing manager Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said the drought mitigation programme was projected to cost about $13 million.
Mrs Munyonga said the programme will include drilling water supply boreholes and construction of new water conveyance systems in the affected areas, among other initiatives.
She added that work had already started in some of the critically affected centres which include Lupane, Kotwa, Mutawatawa, Great Zimbabwe, Chitakatira, Maleme, Mberengwa, Marula, Tongogara, Nembudziya, Tsungai, Hauna and Goromonzi.
“The drought has led to shortage of water for some centres across the country due to low water levels in rivers and dams and also declining water tables which resulted in some boreholes drying up while the yield of others significantly reduced.
“Several drought mitigation initiatives are being implemented at various centres being spearheaded by a National Drought Response Lead Team in Zinwa and support with resources from Government in terms of Section 5 of the Zinwa Act.
“To bring normal water supply at all Zinwa water supply stations across the country by implementing drought mitigation measures, a total of $13 million would be required. Government has availed some resources for the implementation of emergency measures,” she said.
In Lupane, Matabeleland North province, Zinwa has commissioned a new water treatment plant to supply water to the town from Bubi-Lupane Dam.
Lupane used to rely on boreholes for water supply and the boreholes are about 150 metres deep due to the low water table in the region. The drought has resulted in a further decline of the water table and yield of these boreholes.
Maleme Dam in Matobo district, Matabeleland South province has dried up and work to drill and equip boreholes is almost complete with one of the boreholes already in use. In Esigodini, in Matabeleland South province, Zinwa is mobilising equipment to drill an additional borehole to mitigate the water shortages at the centre.
Mrs Munyonga said the piping to connect the new borehole to the distribution system was already in place while the pipeline has already been trenched.
“The community is not getting enough water due to a depressed supply owing to the drought and an increasing demand for drinking water. The water supply is expected to significantly improve soon after the completion of the ongoing emergency works,” she said.
A similar exercise is also underway in Marula, Matabeleland South, where the supply dam, Goodluck Dam, is almost dry.
At Kotwa Growth Point in Mashonaland East a new water conveyance system is being constructed to link Dendera dam and the water treatment plant after the centre’s supply dam Nyaruwanga, completely dried up.
According to Zinwa data, the El-nino weather effect left local dams with a storage level of about 56,2 percent at the end of the 2015/16 rainfall season, against an expected national average dam level of above 79 percent.
The 2015/16 rainfall season had commenced with a national dam storage level of 63, 6 percent in October 2015.
She said Zinwa has also been engaging irrigation schemes to hear their concerns as well create awareness on their part on the need to use water efficiently during this drought year.
“So far two irrigation schemes in Matabeleland South have been visited. These are Silalabuwa Irrigation Scheme in Filabusi and Antelope Irrigation Scheme in Maphisa. Visits have been lined up for other irrigation schemes across the country.
Zinwa supplies raw water for urban, mining and irrigation from over 800 dams across the country.
The water authority also operates more than 530 clear water supply stations supplying drinking water in small towns, growth centres, institutions and service centres.
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