KZN is running dry

Some parts of KwaZulu-Natal could be without water in 60 days. An unusually dry spring and summer has resulted in a looming crisis of "calamitous proportions".The worst drought since 1991 has forced the government to ration water by introducing a quota system in some areas.Worst hit are Uthungulu, Umkhanyakude and Amajuba in the north, Ugu in the south, and Uthukela and Harry Gwala in the western interior.Hazelmere Dam - a major source of water in the eThekwini and iLembe municipalities - will run dry by August if no rain falls.The drought has already cost 9630 farmers 366248 large stock units - mostly cattle, about 8000 jobs, and significant sugar cane and vegetable yield losses."With KwaZulu-Natal's traditional wet season already over and no significant rainfall forecast, the drought is now firmly rooted and the province faces a looming water crisis," said Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube yesterday.Restrictions have been imposed in Waterloo, Verulam, Westbrook, La Mercy, Seatides, Frazer, Greylands, Belvedere, Canelands, Dube Trade Port, Ndwedwe, the Sembcorp Siza supplied district stretching from Zimbali to eThethe, and iLembe District Municipality's Groutville to Ntshawini."We were not successful with saving water during the previous restrictions so the schemes are now implementing compulsory rationing. It is no longer up to you," Dube-Ncube said.The dam's plant will only produce sufficient water for municipalities to receive a daily quota determined by levels agreed to and they will have to put measures in place to ensure they do not run out of their quota.Hospitals, clinics, King Shaka International Airport and fire stations will not be affected.The national Disaster Management Centre has allocated R24-million to the four worst-hit districts.