Farmers should renew water agreements
The on-going rainy season has seen most parts of the country receiving between normal and above normal rainfall.
THIS has understandably ignited debate on the preparedness of our water resources to cope with excessive rainfall, with some rightfully suggesting that more needs to be done to ensure that our dams are looked after well enough to withstand excessive rain.
The Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa), which, in terms of the Water Act (Chapter 20:24), is mandated to oversee the sustainable planning, development and management of water resources in the country, is calling on all stakeholders in the water sector to complement the Authority’s efforts towards keeping water resources safe and sound.
This, quite apparently, is a collective task which cannot be achieved if Zinwa is left to do it alone.
It is obvious that the authority’s capacity to maintain dams is dependent solely on water users’ commitment to pay for the water they use. Such users include local authorities, irrigating farmers, miners, industry etc.
And as we approach the end of the cur- rent water year on March 31, the Authority would like to remind water users that their agreements are lapsing and would be due for renewal before April 1.
This is particularly important for irrigating farmers who sign one-year agreements.
Between now and March 31, agreement holders are thus encouraged to visit Zinwa offices closest to them and renew their water abstraction agreements while those who have been using water without following due process should regularise their operations. When applying for an agreement, farmers are encouraged to take with them title deeds in the form of an offer letter or, for those who are farming on rented property, a lease agreement. It is important to highlight that an agreement is the only document which gives one the right to use water from a Zinwa managed dam.
Therefore, anyone who is irrigating from a Zinwa managed dam without signing a water abstraction agreement with the authority is, in terms of section 118 of the Water Act, is using water illegally.
Such behaviour is uncalled for especially in this age of climate change which has seen the country experiencing extreme weather too often.
It is important for farmers to enter into water abstraction agreements in time so that Zinwa can make appropriate arrangements with regards to the allocation of water from dams
It is also important for farmers to do proper water use forecasts that will guide them in applying for the correct allocations.
This can be done with help from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Extension (AREX).
As witnessed, last year was one of the driest seasons in living memory resulting in some dams being decommissioned while this year, much of the country has, as indicated above, received largely above normal rainfall, a development which has led to some small dams being breached and causing flooding in downstream areas.
All this is indicative of the need for both water managers and water users to work hand in hand to ensure that in dry seasons, available water is optimally used for the benefit of the country on both the economic and social fronts while in excessively wet seasons like this year, dams are strong enough to cope with the huge volumes they receive.
It is therefore evidently important for water users especially irrigating farmers to participate in and contribute positively towards sustainable management of water resources.
Suffice to say, there is no better way of doing that than renewing their agreements and use water within the confines of the law.