DAM levels in the country’s major water bodies continue to recede posing a threat to irrigation farmers during the lean peak season, the Daily News reports.

According to Zimbabwe National Water Authority’s corporate communications manager, Marjorie Munyonga, the decline was due to the conclusion of the rainy season and total stoppage of river inflows.

The decline in dam levels, however, comes as the level at Kariba, the country’s largest water body, is increasing owing to inflows from Victoria Falls upstream.

“As at June 5, 2020, the national dam level average was 49 percent. Manyame Catchment had a dam level average of 70,4 percent, Gwayi Catchment 44,3 percent, Mazowe Catchment 73,9 percent, Mzingwane Catchment 44,2 percent, Runde Catchment 41,2 percent, Sanyati Catchment 41,6 percent and Save Catchment 58,4 percent,” she said.

Munyonga said water from national dams is highly regulated and anyone wishing to get water should follow proper procedures to do so.

She added that since 2017 Zinwa has been embarking on a programme to construct weirs and repair small dams across the country under the national water harvesting programme.

In his 2020 National Budget, Finance minister Mthuli Ncube set aside a budget of some $500 million for irrigation as a way of climate-proofing our agriculture, while an additional $250m was budgeted for dam construction.