52% of national dams spilling

Dams continue to fill up as rains fall, with more than half of all national dams, the tier that includes all the larger dams, now spilling and others coming up to the full marker, reports the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA).

The total quantity of water now in store is at 88 percent of the capacity. By the end of last week, 52,3 percent of dams were full and another 13,9 percent at 90 percent full.

Zinwa corporate communications manager, Mrs Marjorie Munyonga, yesterday confirmed that most dam levels had risen by Friday owing to the incessant rains.

"Dams supplying water to major cities and towns continue to record gains, with Lake Chivero, Harare's major source of raw water now spilling, while Harava Dam, the feeder for Seke Dam has also filled," she said.

"Tugwi Mukosi, the country's largest inland water body, remains spilling. Other dams that are spilling include Zhovhe, Muzhwi, Muchekeranwa, Roswa, Sebakwe, Nerutanga and Nyamafufu."

Mrs Munyonga urged farmers involved in summer irrigation to approach their service centres and sign water abstraction agreements as required by the law.

Meanwhile, the rains have resulted in waterlogging and leaching in some parts of the country, with farmers encouraged to apply top dressing fertilisers and also repairing contour ridges in their fields so crops are not destroyed.

Experts have also advised members of the public to follow weather reports and advisories form the Civil Protection unit.

The Meteorological Services Department is monitoring Tropical Cyclone Batsirai, which is still out in the midst of the Indian Ocean, but approaching Mauritius and the east coast of Madagascar.

At present, the direction and future path of the storm cannot be predicted with any accuracy, but it is widely expected to affect parts of Southern Africa, including Zimbabwe.