Mrs Marjorie Munyonga

Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
MTSHABEZI dam, one of Bulawayo’s supply dams is already spilling while the city’s other supply dams are almost 80 percent full.

According to the Bulawayo City Council, Insiza is at 82,26 percent, Inyankuni 78,74 percent and Umzingwane is at 71,8 percent full. Lower Ncema and Upper Ncema are at 90,97 percent and 52,94 percent full respectively.

The council said the supply dams now have enough water to last the city more than three years. The local authority’s public relations officer, Miss Bongiwe Ngwenya said the supply dams have enough water to last the city 39 months if the present daily consumption is maintained.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) spokesperson, Mrs Marjorie Munyonga, on Wednesday said the average national dam levels had risen to 78 percent up from 69 percent two weeks ago.

“Water levels of most dams across the country have risen following the intensified rainfalls obtained in many parts of the country. The national dam level average is now 78,8 percent,” said Mrs Munyonga.

She said dams in the Gwayi catchment were all more than 70 percent full.

Mrs Munyonga said Bubi-Lupane Dam was 84,5 percent while Khami Dam used for irrigation purposes was at 88,8 percent and Insukamini was at 96,9 percent full.

She, however, urged people to use water sparingly despite the good rains so far received. “While the dams now have sufficient water to meet the country’s domestic and irrigation requirements, Zinwa wishes to remind water users that water remains a finite resource which needs to be conserved and used efficiently,” she said.

Mrs Munyonga appealed to all raw water users wishing to use water from Zinwa managed dams to start working on the renewal of their water abstraction agreements for the coming water year which starts on April 1. — @AuxiliaK