Dusi digs in as drought takes grip of KZN
Dams in the uMngeni system are critically low and at their lowest levels in three decades.
AS the province of KwaZulu-Natal squares up to the reality of the worst drought since the turn of the century, the FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon has thrown its weight behind the efforts by the region to manage its dwindling water resources optimally.
This week Umgeni Water held high level meetings with representatives of the municipalities of uMgungundlovu, uMsunduzi and eThekwini to discuss options to try and reduce business and domestic water consumption by 15%.
Umgeni Water spokesperson Shami Harichunder said that the dams in the uMngeni System were critically low and at their lowest levels in three decades, and warned that CSIR forecasts pointed to no significant rainfall for the next six months.
The FNB Dusi Canoe Marathon takes place on the uMsundusi and uMngeni Rivers from 18 to 20 February and the organisers and participants are facing up to the impact of the drought head on.
“Yes, as paddlers, the effect of the low rivers will be felt during the race but we see this in the broader context of the serious water crisis that is facing the region and embrace it as a challenge,” said dusi general manager, Brett Austen Smith.
“We organise events on these rivers for just a handful of days a year but we have an obligation to consider those who rely on these river systems every day of their lives for drinking water, washing and cleaning, let alone the farmers who are battling to irrigate their crops and provide water and food for their livestock,” he added.
Austen Smith quickly pointed out that the luxury of water releases was a relatively new phenomenon in the 64 year history of the event and that the vast majority of the races had been run on rivers “as you find them on the day”.
“Paddlers who have been part of this race for a long time are looking forward to the challenge of an ‘old school’ Dusi. Water is a precious resource and one that cannot be squandered. We fully understand this and we shoulder the responsibility, along with every other South African, of trying to address the crisis,” he said.
Dam levels (as of 21 January)
Henley Dam 68,86%
Albert Falls Dam 37,59%
Nagle Dam 85,85%
Inanda Dam 80,35%
