By OLIVER SAMBOKO
WATER Levels at Kariba Dam in Siavonga has dropped to below 10 percent, the lowest recorded since 1959 when construction of the dam was completed.
Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) Chief Executive Officer, Munyaradzi Munidawafa revealed that the recorded Lake level on November 1, 2022 was 476.85m with 6.04 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) stored usable water representing 9.32 percent of live storage.
He said the recorded lake level of 476.85m placed the lake at 1.35 meters above the Minimum Operating Level (MOL) of 475.50m, adding that on the same date in 2021, the Lake level was higher at 479.97m with 20.47 BCM representing 31.5 percent of live storage.
Mr Munidawafa said the water levels are expected to start rising in the first quarter of 2023 if the flows recorded at Chavuma gauging station are sustained.
He also disclosed that according to the Zambezi River flows recorded at Chavuma receded to 60 m3/s. between June 2022 and end of October 2022.
Meanwhile, ZRA has allocated 40 Billion Cubic Meters of water to cater for power generation operations at Kariba Hydroelectricity power scheme for 2023.
Mr Munidawafa said that 40 BCM water allocation will be shared equally between Zesco Limited and Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) for their power generation operations at Kariba North Bank Power Station and Kariba South Bank Power Station, respectively.
He said the allocation follows the hydrological simulations by ZRA using the normal to above normal rainfall projections for the upcoming 2022/2023 rainfall season.
Mr Munidawafa said the Authority will continue to monitor the hydrological outlook in the Kariba catchment and where necessary, make adjustments to this water allocation to sustain reservoir operations at Kariba.
