South Africa’s water crisis spreads from Cape Town, Africa News & Top Stories

KATSE DAM, LESOTHO (REUTERS) – Cape Town is lacking water and low dam levels in the emerald-green highlands of Lesotho are raising alarm bells in South Africa’s industrial heartland around Johannesburg, which has so far avoided the scarcities hitting other regions.

The traveler center of Cape Town may run dry in April and throughout South Africa water materials have yet to recuperate from an El Nino-triggered dry spell 2 years ago, declaring possible water shortages that could strike industrial and farming output.

Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape province has imposed water constraints, dam levels are at worrying levels in the sugar-cane producing province of Kwa-Zulu Natal and a swathe of South Africa’s maize belt has actually been struck by dry spell.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa, who in December became head of the judgment African National Congress, has said the unfolding scenario in Cape Town is a top priority and officials are expected to reveal contingency strategies today.

The next crisis may hide in the mountains of Lesotho, a land-locked mountain kingdom surrounded by South Africa.

Much of the water that provides Gauteng, the province that includes Johannesburg, Pretoria and much of the South Africa’s market, streams from the Katse and Mohale dams in Lesotho.

According to South Africa’s Department of Water Affairs, dam levels in Lesotho are “extremely low” – the worst ranking – and are in their 10th percentile, meaning levels have actually been higher more than 90 per cent of the time at this point in the year.

Its levels are lower than at the height of the drought two years back when the combined levels of the dams were at almost 50 percent capacity compared with 32 percent now.

Seen from the winding roadway that reaches Katse, the water level is about 20 metres listed below a water mark running round the sides of the dam.

Information assembled by the US federal government’s Africa Standardised Precipitation Index reveals rains in Lesotho has been below regular for the past few months, worsening the after-affects of the 2015-16 drought.

Experts state water in the dams ought to preferably be utilized for storage, but Pretoria is now drawing from Lesotho as it continues topping up Guateng’s Vaal supply system.

” At the minute we are utilizing the whole system and that will remain till we see better rain,” stated Department of Water Affairs spokesman Sputnik Ratau.

” Entering into the winter season with the possibility of snow, we expect next summer we will see a recharge of the system.”

WASTED WATER

The South African Weather Service is anticipating above-normal rain as the southern hemisphere summer season advances in the north-eastern regions, but states the outlook is uncertain for central locations that consist of Lesotho.

The total picture for South Africa is stressing, with Cape Town the most immediate. Its locals, who will have everyday limitations cut from Thursday to 50 litres per individual from 87 litres, deal with the grim prospect of the taps running dry.

The federal government has actually been prompting individuals throughout the country to use water more carefully and cut usage.

Nationwide, water storage levels are ranked by authorities as reasonably short on a scale that ranges from high to very low and Lesotho’s diminishing products are attracting attention.

Jason Hallowes, handling director of water research consultancy and software company DHI South Africa, said Lesotho’s water should not be utilized at the minute.

The Gauteng system in the northeast, where rainfall is seen picking up, could see flooding which would then lose water streaming down from Katse, he said.

” It would be more sensible to keep this water in these dams instead of release it. The most important dams supporting the system are Katse and Mohale,” Hallowes said.

Ratau stated the water department was “conscious and seeing everything but we are not having palpitations about it at this stage”.

Petrochemicals giant Sasol, which relies ultimately on Lesotho for backup supplies, stated it was keeping an eye on the situation in the mountain kingdom really carefully.

” However, it is not an immediate concern for us since our primary source of supply is through Grootdraai Dam, which is currently above 100 per cent storage capacity,” Sasol said.

Source

http://www.straitstimes.com/world/africa/south-africas-water-crisis-spreads-from-cape-town