Walter Mswazie Masvingo Correspondent
THE Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA) has reduced supplies to sugar estates in the lowveld citing dwindling water levels at Lake Mutirikwi.
ZINWA supplies Triangle, Hippo Valley and Mkwasine estates in Chiredzi as well as Renco Mine and Masvingo city from Lake Mutirikwi.
According to the latest Masvingo City Council minutes, ZINWA has since reduced the amount of water pumped to the Lowveld from 10 cubic metres to five cubic metres per second citing decreasing water levels that stand at nearly 22 percent in the dam.
ZINWA has said it would stop releasing water to the estates if water levels drop to the four percent mark, the level anticipated to be reached by June 2016.
However, the authority will continue releasing water to Renco Mine and Masvingo residents.
“It was reported that the level of Lake Mutirikwi as at February 2016 was 83,960m which translates to 21,67 percent.
“It was indicated that ZINWA has reduced the flow of water to the Lowveld from 10 cubic metres per second to 5,03 cubic metres per second,” read the minutes.
City engineer, Tawanda Gozo, welcomed ZINWA’s decision. He said the municipality was working on contingency plans to avert serious water shortages in the city.
“In the looming water crisis that we’re likely to face given the ensuing El Nino trend and dropping of water levels in Lake Mutirikwi, we’re working on emergency plans.
“We hail ZINWA for coming to our rescue as the move ensures the city will get water. We’re already considering rehabilitating nine boreholes drilled at the height of yet another drought in 1992. These boreholes are dotted around the suburbs,” said Gozo.