Despite rain, drought remains in KwaZulu-Natal

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Pretoria – While the rain experienced in KwaZulu-Natal over the past few days has been welcomed, the drought in the province remains severe and the public must continue to conserve water.

This is according to the provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA).

In a statement on Sunday the department said although the rains had refreshed the coastal areas, the public must continue to conserve water.

“We would need weeks and weeks of sustained rainfall to replenish our fast declining water reservoirs to return to water levels considered safe and sustainable. We therefore urge the public not to become complacent amid the recent rain showers and continue to conserve water to ensure that the current reserves last longer,” said Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube.

All measures aimed at preventing taps from drying apart such as water rationing, restrictions and including the prohibitions such as watering the lawn remain in full force.

“Combatting the effects of drought is everybody’s business and we can only ensure sufficient levels in our water reservoirs if we change our consumer behaviour into the future. KZN is facing droughts with increasing severity and frequency unless our call for coordinated water conservation is met with decisive action by all consumers,” said the MEC.

Government has to date invested significant resources into public drought awareness campaigns calling for the public’s support for water rationing measures imposed by the most affected municipalities and voluntary water conservation.

“The recent rainfall may give the false impression that the worst of the current drought is over. The impact of the current drought has been so severe that all this rainfall is simply insufficient to relieve even the most urgent shortages of water in the most affected areas of the province. Our campaign to conserve water will therefore continue,” said MEC Dube-Ncube.

At a media briefing in Pretoria on Friday, the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) for water scarcity and drought called on all South Africans to use water sparingly. – SAnews.gov.za