The national dam average has risen to 90.5 percent despite the current mid-season dry spell, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has revealed. The Meteorological Services Department has, however, said rains will resume starting this week until March. According to a statement released by Zinwa yesterday, water levels in the country’s major dams have continued on an upward trend.
The authority stated that as at February 9, 43 dams were full and eight dams were below 50 percent. The country’s two largest water bodies, Tugwi-Mukosi and Lake Mutirikwi are are full. The authority indicated that dams such as Bubi-Lupane, Insukamini, Khami, Harava, Biri, Seke, Masembura, Arcadia, Mtshabezi, Silalabuhwa, Zhovhe, Antelope, Manyuchi, Mutirikwi, Mushandike, Gwenoro, Muzhwi, Amapongokwe, Mamina, and Siya are all at 100 percent capacity.
Other key dams at full capacity include Mtshabezi Dam, a critical water source for Bulawayo. Mazowe Dam, however, has remained low at 11.2 percent, while Mwenje Dam in the Mazowe catchment is at 23.1 percent. Other dams with moderate to low levels include Upper Ncema (40.7 percent), Mzingwane (36.1 percent) and Lower Ncema (36.8 percent).
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Zinwa head of corporate communications and marketing, Mrs Marjorie Munyonga, urged water users to exercise caution. “Notwithstanding these high – water levels in the dams, the authority wishes to reiterate that water is a finite resource and water users need to use the available water in an efficient and sustainable manner”. Rising dam levels offer optimism for agricultural planning, particularly for winter wheat and other irrigated crops, although they also require careful management. To ensure equitable and sustainable water distribution, farmers and authorities have been urged to work in close partnership in the coming months.
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