The delay in the rainy season is set to worsen the water situation in Bulawayo, with dams almost running dry.
BY KHANYILE MLOTSHWA
Bulawayo city engineer, Simela Dube told journalists during a tour of the city’s supply dams on Thursday that if heavens did not open up anytime soon, the situation would become precarious.
At Upper Ncema, which has already been decommissioned, the chairperson of the future water supplies committee, Councillor Siboniso Khumalo struggled to contain tears, as he looked at the drying dam.
The engineer said the inflows to date were 22 594 574 cubic metres to all supply dams.
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The inflows have been to Lower Ncema and Umzingwane dams.
“The two previously decommissioned dams, that is Umzingwane and Upper Ncema, have both received minimal inflows and are now at 5,6% and 1,59% full, respectively,” Dube said.
“It is our hope that the rains will improve with the season and we will be able to recommission the dams.”
The tour was organised by the local authority’s engineering and public relations departments to give journalists an appreciation of the gravity of the situation.
Dube said the local authority was praying hard that it rains soon, so that it would not push the water rationing beyond the 72 hours a week period.
“As you can see, Upper Ncema Dam is less than 2% full, and it is virtually Ncema River left here,” he said.
“The total capacity of all the city’s supply dams is less than 28%. Our dams need more rain. There is no silt here, or, if it’s there, it is very minimal. Let us try and conserve the water that we are receiving. The options we have are very limited.
“We are not looking at increasing the 72 hours a week schedule. For now, the 72-hour schedule can take us to December.
“We now need to continue with our water conservation strategies. We should also pray for water. We pray that it rains over the How Mine area so that Umzingwane Dam can receive water. If that (it rains) happens today, tomorrow we might start pumping again from Umzingwane Dam.”
Dube said the Bulawayo water situation was a serious matter that needed a long-term solution.
“Bulawayo’s lifeline is ultimately Gwayi-Shangani dam,” he said.
“That (Gwayi-Shangani dam) is the project needed to meet Bulawayo’s water demands. This is important as industry moves in, since Bulawayo will be declared a special economic zone (in terms of industry). Gwayi-Shangani has to come in.
“However, in the meantime, there are stop-gap measures that we are doing. Bulawayo City Council has put in some money in pumping water from the Nyamandlovu aquifer.”