BY STEPHEN CHADENGA
WATER levels at City of Gweru’s main reservoir, Amapongokwe, have dropped from over 70% last year to around 50%, prompting council to intensify water rationing.
Council spokesperson Vimbai Chingwaramusee yesterday said the erratic rains received so far in the Midlands capital were not enough to fill Amapongokwe.
She said Gwenoro Dam, which used to be the main supplier, has reached the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) recommended decommissioning level and was currently not contributing much to the city’s water needs.
“As such, we still encourage residents to use water sparingly and report any pipe bursts since the dam levels can take us up to eight months,” Chingwaramusee said.
Last year, council introduced water rationing, which has seen residents in some parts of the city going for more than three days without the precious liquid.
Most parts of the country have received erratic rainfall, except for much of the Mashonaland regions and north of Manicaland.
Chingwaramusee said parts of the city last week experienced flooding largely because of blocked storm drains, with residents in Mkoba 4, 7, 12, 13, 16 and 19 as well as Ascot Infill mostly affected.
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“The flooding was caused by blocked drainages and some residents’ properties were damaged,” she said.
“The city’s engineering team is on the ground clearing the drainages. Ninety percent of the drainages were clogged with litter. As such, we appeal to residents not to dump litter in drainage pipes.”
