THE Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) says most of the country’s major dams had reached 90% capacity while others are already spilling.
By Staff Reporters
According to a report released last Friday, Zinwa said most Harare dams like Manyame, Chivero, Seke and Harava were already 100% full, while Bulawayo’s supply dams were at 56,7% with the exception of Manningdale Dam which spilled over the weekend causing a flood scare in Riverside.
Dams that supply Mutare, Kadoma, Gwanda, Figtree, Rusape, Bindura/Shamva, Chivhu, Bikita, Mashava, Maphisa and Avoca are also spilling.
According to Zinwa, lowest inflows were recorded at Masvingo’s supply dam, Mutirikwi Dam (18,1%) and Beitbridge Dam (39,2%).
Zinwa said the average national dam capacity levels now stood at 73,8% as compared to 63,4% recorded over the same period last year.
The Meteorological Services Department has forecast that more rains are coming in the next seven days.
Meanwhile, the Civil Protection Unit (CPU) has called for an improvement in the architecture of rural houses as most of them were prone to crumbling during incessant rains, landslides and flooding.
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Director of the CPU Madzudzo Pawadyira last week told the Parliamentary Thematic Committee on Peace and Security that pole-and-dagga houses were susceptible to natural disasters.
Most traditional settlements in Zimbabwe are cluster circular huts made of poles and clay with thatched roofs.
“There is a tendency by people to build homesteads around foothills on the mountains and because the soil is not very thick the water slips underneath and loosens the soil and landslides happen,” said Pawadyira.
“There is also something wrong with the architecture of our village homes where some houses melt, dissolve or crumble while others stand – we also want to improve on the quality and architecture of housing in rural areas that is most prone to disasters,” he said.
According to Pawadyira, several rural structures, including schools and clinics, have had their rooftops swept away and damaged by windstorms in areas like Gokwe, Mount Darwin, Mangwe and Shamva districts due to their architecture.
