Water restrictions hit Harry Gwala district

The drought in KwaZulu-Natal is intensifying.

The Harry Gwala district Municipality in KZN has become the latest to announce major water restrictions‚ KZN MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Nomusa Dube-Ncube said in a statement on Wednesday.

AS more rivers dry up‚ Ixopo dam is the latest to reach a critically low level of 30%. Mandatory curtailments in the distribution of water have commenced in earnest in the Harry Gwala District.

Areas so far affected include Ixopo town‚ Morningside‚ Fairview and Hospital areas.

“Water production in the Ixopo dam will be reduced from 2.8 Ml/d to 2.5 Ml/d as of today. Harry Gwala district has been in discussions with farmers upstream who have three dams to release immediately‚ but even with that plan it is necessary to implement water restrictions until the situation returns to normality‚” said Dube-Ncube.

Last week‚ Paula Barnard‚ director of World Vision‚ said many parts of KwaZulu-Natal were "a disaster zone" as people did not have food‚ The Times reported.

The NGO’s research showed that 500 000 people did not know where their next meal would come from as crops had failed.

Busisiwe Mseleku of Nkolokotho near Mtubatuba‚ northern KwaZulu-Natal‚ said the dry Mfolozi River had devastated the community.

In Umvoti near Greytown‚ pupils have to take water to school for use in the kitchen or bathroom or they are sent home. "Those who don't bring water are sent back to fetch it"‚ community members said.

“As KZN Cogta we maintain that the current drought crisis requires all citizens of the province to play their part in conserving water because water is everybody’s business and government and sector stakeholders cannot conserve it alone. The department has contingency plans to ensure that no resident will go without water even when the taps begin to run dry” said Dube-Ncube.