News / National
Crippling countrywide water rationing looms in Zimbabwe
25 Aug 2016 at 13:22hrs | Views
Whole of Zimbabwe face severe water rationing as the water levels in dams countrywide continue to dwindle, the Zimbabwe Humanitarian Situation Report has revealed.
The report said water levels in all the country's seven catchment areas are about 18 percent below the expected capacity and municipalities are expected to implement water restrictions soon.
According to the Financial Gazette, the worst affected catchments are Save and Runde which are recording storage capacity levels of 44,8 percent and 21,8 percent respectively, according to the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA).
These two catchments cover most of Masvingo and Manicaland provinces and parts of Matabeleland South, Midlands, and Mashonaland East.
Dam levels in the Mazowe catchment, which covers mainly the Mashonaland Central province, now stand at 73,3 percent.
Mwenje, Mwarazi and Mufurudzi dams are some of the major reservoirs in the catchment.
Dams in the Gwayi catchment in Matabeleland North are below their expected average of 66,2 percent at 57,9 percent.
Sanyati and Mzingwane catchment areas are both below 70 percent at 55 percent and 59 percent respectively.
ZINWA said siltation has become a major problem affecting water availability in the country's major dams
"While the current water situation is largely attributable to the poor rains, the siltation of some of the country's dams has also compromised the dams' ability to store more water.
"To this end, ZINWA, through its parent Ministry, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate, recently launched the National De-silting Programme under the Food for Work Scheme, which will see locals in food insecure areas helping with the removal of silt from small dams in their areas," ZINWA said.
The report said water levels in all the country's seven catchment areas are about 18 percent below the expected capacity and municipalities are expected to implement water restrictions soon.
According to the Financial Gazette, the worst affected catchments are Save and Runde which are recording storage capacity levels of 44,8 percent and 21,8 percent respectively, according to the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA).
These two catchments cover most of Masvingo and Manicaland provinces and parts of Matabeleland South, Midlands, and Mashonaland East.
Dam levels in the Mazowe catchment, which covers mainly the Mashonaland Central province, now stand at 73,3 percent.
Mwenje, Mwarazi and Mufurudzi dams are some of the major reservoirs in the catchment.
Dams in the Gwayi catchment in Matabeleland North are below their expected average of 66,2 percent at 57,9 percent.
Sanyati and Mzingwane catchment areas are both below 70 percent at 55 percent and 59 percent respectively.
ZINWA said siltation has become a major problem affecting water availability in the country's major dams
"While the current water situation is largely attributable to the poor rains, the siltation of some of the country's dams has also compromised the dams' ability to store more water.
"To this end, ZINWA, through its parent Ministry, the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate, recently launched the National De-silting Programme under the Food for Work Scheme, which will see locals in food insecure areas helping with the removal of silt from small dams in their areas," ZINWA said.
Source - Financial Gazette
