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Elita Chikwati Senior Reporter
The national dam level average now stands at 69,3 percent as water levels continue to decline due to little or no inflows and an upsurge in withdrawals, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority has said.

Zinwa latest dam levels statistics show that as at April 12, the national dam level average was 69,3 percent marking a 0,9 percent decline from the previous week.

Zinwa corporate communications and marketing manager, Mrs Marjorie Munyonga said Gwayi Catchment has a dam level average of 65,6 percent, Manyame 90 percent, Mazowe 94,8 percent Mzingwane 67,1 percent, Runde 58,8 percent, Sanyati 74,7 percent and Save 82,4 percent.

She said the commencement of the winter cropping season is set to increase pressure on the dams.

“Zinwa appeals to all farmers who will be involved in winter cropping to ensure that they have the relevant water abstraction agreements for them to have irrigation water reserved for them in the dams.

“No water shall be reserved in the dams for unregistered users while Zinwa shall also intensify its monitoring activities along river channels to ensure that all illegal water use is eliminated,” she said.

In Manyame catchment, Chivero Dam which is for irrigation and water supply is 84,3 percent full while Mazvikadei Dam is 92,4 percent full.

Under Mazowe catchment, Mazowe Dam used for irrigation is 83,9 percent full, while Rufaro which is for water supply and irrigation is 100,8 percent full. In Mzingwane, Mtshabezi Dam which is for irrigation and water supply is 86,4 percent full. Upper Ncema for water supply is 12,4 percent and Insiza which is for irrigation and water supply is 60,2 percent.

Under Runde Catchment, the dams for irrigation are Tugwi Mukosi which is 57,3 percent full, Manjirenji (82,3 percent) and Mutirikwi (51, 9 percent) while Wenimbi and Osborne dams both in the Save Catchment are 82,1 percent and 70, 5 percent full respectively.