Zinwa on major dams water levels

Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
SOME parts of the country might experience water supply challenges amid indications that water levels in supply dams continue to dwindle.

The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) said farmers who need to use water for irrigation purposes should sign contracts with the water authority as required by law.

Zimbabwe, like most countries in Sadc, received erratic rains during the past rainy season due to the effects of the El Nino weather phenomenon.

According to recent figures released by Zinwa, supply dams for Bulawayo, Gweru, Masvingo and Beitbridge were below 30 percent of their capacity as at August 26.

The figures show that Bulawayo’s Lower Ncema and Upper Ncema are now at 31,6 and 0,2 percent respectively.

Mtshabezi which is used for irrigation and water supply is at 59,9percent.

The Zinwa figures also show that in Masvingo Lake Mutirikwi, the biggest inland water reservoir in the country, is now only at 13,5 percent capacity, its lowest in over a decade.

Whitewaters and Gwenoro, which supply Gweru are now at 47,6 and 41,7 percent respectively, down from about 57 percent four months ago.

In Kwekwe, Sebakwe and Lower Zibagwe dams which also supply Redcliff town are at 57 percent capacity down from 65 percent in March this year.

Zinwa corporate communications and marketing manager, Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said the authority was appealing to water users across the country to use it sparingly.

“The drought has seen some dams supplying water for domestic purposes to urban areas having very depressed levels. Users should ensure that they fix any leaks in their homes, use buckets when watering gardens and cleaning cars to save water,” she said.

Mrs Munyonga said most dams whose water is used for irrigation such as Mundi-Mataga, Pollards, Exchange, Khami and Bubi-Lupane still hold large volumes of water.

“Zinwa therefore encourages such farmers to approach the authority and sign water abstraction agreements allowing them to take water from the dams. This is a legal requirement under the Water Act. Irrigating without an agreement constitutes an offence under the same Act with offenders liable to prison terms, fines or both. Apart from it being a legal requirement, water abstraction agreements allow Zinwa to properly plan and manage the available water,” she said.