….. says as at 12th March 2020, the water levels at Kariba was at 12% full compared with 42.99% full at the same time last year.
LUSAKA/ 14th March 2020
By Smart Eagles
ZESCO Limited Public Relations Manager has disclosed that power generation at the Kariba Dam is still restricted due to law water levels.
“We wishe to inform our esteemed customers and the general public across the country that power generation at the Kariba dam is still restricted due to the low water levels attributed to the reduced inflows into the lake despite the rains that the country has experienced this season” Mrs Zulu said.
She said the current scenario implies that the power utility company will continue with the loadshedding programme of between 10 to12hours daily until a review is conducted at the end of April 2020.
“Loadshedding of upto 12hours daily remains critical to protect the power system from collapse and ensure that the available power is shared equitably, and generation is sustained into the next rainy season” she said.
Mrs Zulu said there was need to appreciate that due to the severe draught that was experienced in the previous season,the water that was allocated by the Zambezi River Authority(ZRA),for power generation was depleted leaving the Kariba dam at its all-time low.
She revealed that as at 12th March 2020, the water levels at Kariba was at 12% full compared with 42.99% full at the same time last year.
Mrs Zulu said that the ideal capacity of the lake is 69% full, which implies that the water levels are significantly low at the kariba damn.
“It is,therefore,imperative to note that despite the 2020 rain fall projections of normal to above normal rainfall for the Kariba upper catchment area the dam may not record a significant increase in the water levels” Mrs Zulu said.