Zimbabwe dam water levels rise marginally

   HARARE, Jan. 22 -- Zimbabwe's national dam levels stood at 49.2 percent as of Jan. 20, a 0.88 percent rise from levels of Jan. 13, according to the latest update from the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA).
   The marginal increase comes amid heavy rains received in most parts of the country over the past week.
   ZINWA corporate communications and marketing manager Marjorie Munyonga, however, said the national dam level average remained lower than 64. 2 percent expected during this period of the year.
   "These improvements in the river flows and dam levels bring relief to a significant number of areas that have been water stressed in recent weeks," Munyonga said.
   She urged users to conserve water to help stretch the limited water resources.
   She said her organization was working to improve access to portable water by rural communities in water-stressed areas by rehabilitating boreholes.
   To this end, ZINWA had rehabilitated 109 boreholes in six districts while its target was to repair 933 other boreholes scattered throughout the country.
   Zimbabwe experienced a drought in the 2018/19 farming season, coupled with Cyclone Idai which has left about half the country's population, 7.7 million people, in need of food assistance this year.
   Rains have remained lower than expected so far with only two months left before this year's rainfall season comes to an end, raising fears of a possible poor rainfall season again this year.  Xinhua