The Authority’s chief executive director, Munyaradzi Munodawafa said water levels at the dam will improve in two months because of the increasing inflows.
“As a matter of fact, the water inflow from the Barotse plains has increased, making it possible to produce sufficient water to gain high levels at the power plant,” he said.
Mr Munodawafa in an interview expressed confidence on the progress with the water inflows from upstream in Mwinilunga and the Baroste plains, which was expected to be absorbed in the Kariba Dam in two months.
He said the increased inflows would generate enough water to earn the expected high levels in the power plant.
In addition, Mr Munodawafa said, two upstream reservoirs, the Devil’s Gorge and the Batoka Basin, would be constructed to stretch the water inflows to Kariba Dam for later use.
He said that as at present, power generation is at 500 megawatts, which was still okay for power production, although power was generated at 1,050 megawatts at full capacity when the water levels were normal.
At the moment, power generation was at 12 per cent as compared to 65 per cent of water current when water levels were high.
Mr Munodawafa said the Kariba Dam needed at least two seasons for it to attain its normal levels.
He said the insufficient rains had prevented the levels of water at the Kariba Dam from increasing, which in turn had led to low electricity power generation.
Meanwhile, Siavonga District Commissioner Lovemore Kanyama said it was unfortunate that some people were using social media to publish false information about the water levels at the dam.
He was reacting to information that was circulating on social media, which indicated that the dam had reached the normal height to end power cuts and that Government was merely being ineffective to allow continued load shedding.
“While people are saying this on social media, a view of dam at present clearly indicates the reality of the water levels at the dam.
“One can see some of the anti-vortex beams which are currently exposed due to low water levels in the lake,” Mr Kanyama said.
He said it was important to relay correct information to the public and not communicate falsehoods.
Dont give zambia to the devil,don’t vote for SHONONGO,FREEMASON,VAMPIRE,BLOODSUCKER,HUMANEATER.ZAMBIA IS A CHRISTIAN NATION VOTE WISELY .HH IS A well known SATANISTY.
VOTING FOR THESE SEPERATIST/REGIONALIST/TRIBAL/RACISTS WOULD BE THE WORST MISTAKE ZAMBIANS WOULD MAKE. AS AT PRESENT THERE’S NO OPPOSITION PARTY AND LEADER WHO ARE EVEN NEAR TO ABLY LEAD THE COUNTRY. THEY ARE NOT EVEN, “WOLVES IN SHEEP SKIN”, THEY ARE ACTUALLY, PLAIN AND UN COVERED WOLVES. THESE ARE NO GO AREAS. JUST LOOK AT THE COMPOSITION OF UPND: GBM, HH, MUTATI, TEKERE BANDA, MUNKOMBWE, ETC AND ASK YOURSELVES VERY SIMPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CALIBRE OF THESE PEOPLE AND THEIR INTEREST TO RULE.
Dont give zambia to the devil,don’t vote for SHONONGO,FREEMASON,VAMPIRE,BLOODSUCKER,HUMANEATER.ZAMBIA IS A CHRISTIAN NATION VOTE WISELY .HH IS A well known SATANISTY.be careful
@Aluta contos – I still remember as a kid KK being called a Satanist. People use to talk about his mystical white handkerchief. The Pentecostal brothers who went to cleanse State House after Chiluba, “The Born Again”, won the elections in 91 told us that windows were breaking when they (Christians) were praying in State House. Now KK is everyone’s darling!! Tell me, who between KK and the “born again” was a real Satanist?
Before you point fingers at others, look in your own life. We are not looking for a Father Christmas or the Pope to lead us. We want a real person with tangible solutions who can solve the national issues that we are experiencing. And please dont give me the cliche’ of all leaders are from God. I know Paul says that in the Bible, but do people really sit down to…
contd..
I know Paul says that in the Bible, but do people really sit down to understand such scriptures? Then please explain to me if these people were also ordained of the Lord; Hitler, Stalin, Musolini, Shaka, Mugabe, Idi, Mobutu, etc.. You see!!! But I can tell you that the Lord allowed such people to rule those places at the right times. This doesnt mean they were ordained.
The only people that were hand-picked of the Lord are the Israeli Kings and Judges in the Old Testament. Even them, some were rejected by the Lord for doing their own things. The world system as it stands is not of God. So, please dont involve the Lord in this mess that we ourselves have created. The so-called Christian Presidents we’ve had so far, except for Mwanawasa who never even claimed to be christian,…
contd…
The so-called Christian Presidents we’ve had so far, except for Mwanawasa who never even claimed to be christian, have been a disaster.
Are European Countries or their leaders Christian? Are Asian countries Christian? Aren’t they all doing better than most African countries? In fact, most Illuminati’s are in Europe and America and yet those countries are way advanced than Zambia. Obviously, you dont seem to know much. We can forgive you on that. Anyway, waste of time even trying to explain these things.
The Batoka Gorge power project is solely for the benefit of Zimbos. Zimbos arts taking advantage of a weak and ignorant PFoolish govt that is even willing to export its depleted maize reserves to Zim. Zambia should be concentrating on developing non-shared water resources like Kafue Lower instead that we can control without reference to the manipulative Zimbos.
#ChagwaMustFall
So when water is released from the reservoirs, it will only go to the Zimbabwean side of the Kariba dam? Do you even understand the logic here? Let me explain. Ithezhitezhi was constructed as a reservior for Kafue Gorge and water was released everytime there is a shortfall. Once water is released, it cant choose where to go as Kariba does not discriminate
@3 I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU ON ZAMBIA CONSTRUCTING UN SHARED POWER GENERATION WHERE WE HAVE FULL CONTROL. AND ZAMBIA HAS GOT VERY BIG RIVERS SUCH AS LUAPULA AND CHAMBESHI IN THE NORTHERN PARTS OF ZAMBIA WHERE RAINFALL IS BEAUTIFUL. WELL RESEARCHED AND PLANNED THESE TWO (AND OTHER RIVERS IN THE SAME REGION) CAN GIVE US MORE ENOUGH POWER TO USE FOR ANYTHING AND STILL EXPORT. BUT THE IRONY WITH ALL ZAMBIAN GOVTS IS THAT WHOLE CONCENTRATION OF DEVELOPMENTS HAS BEEN, BLINDLY, WHERE THOSE DEVELOPMENTS ARE VISIBLY THREATENED WITH NATURAL CALAMITIES. IT FRIGHTENS ME TO SEE ZAMBIA EVER SLEEPING.
After the Rhodies came the Zimbos. Two sides of the same tainted coin.
#ChagwaMustFall
Zambia should concentrate on developing its sole controlled Kafue Lower power project. Batoka Gorge is desperately needed by Zimbos but they are more broke than our PFoolish govt. Instead our weak govt even exports our depleted maize reserves to Zim. Mugabe will take over the running of Zambia very soon.
#ChagwaMustFall
just in time for the ship to dock,,,,,,
“requestdockingcoordinates”
“recalldockinginstructions”
Now HH please find something else to campaign about
2016 the Pope said vote for PF Edgar
i thank you
“Two upstream reservoirs, the Devil’s Gorge and the Batoka Basin, would be constructed to stretch the water inflows to Kariba Dam for later use.” Technically speaking it is dams that are constructed to impound the water to form reservoirs or lakes. If it is dams that are going to be constructed why not use these dams to generate power as well. These sites have hydropower potential and it would make economic sense for the same water to generate electricity twice. There was talk of constructing a dam upstream of the Falls to form a reservoir which did not sit down well with the environmentalists.
@Senior Engineer RTD
We need you in our Govt after August 11…you sound very intelligent…we need more brains
Good comment…..
2016 the Pope said vote PF ( Edgar )
I thank you
RTD engineer, THERE IS NO GORGE OR VALLEY above the Vic Falls, the water would just flow sideways, likely swamping or flooding Livingstone etc etc.
Daming Devil’s Gorge as well as Batoka basin, WON’T INCREASE the amount of water – that Kariba CAN’T ALREADY HOLD – the Effect will be to lower levels in Kariba – to allow the two to fill up, DEFEATING THE PURPOSE OF SUFFICIENT LEVELS IN KARIBA to generate electricity!!
@ Senior Engneer RTD, this is exactly what is happening the the Batoka Basin apart from holding the water for the kariba dam its being upgraded to generate hydro power as well.
@ bauze, “Daming Devil’s Gorge as well as Batoka basin, WON’T INCREASE the amount of water” – Have you conducted studies to ascertain this or you are mere giving you views? A study is the correct basis for further ‘assumptions’ or logical conclusions.
“that Kariba CAN’T ALREADY HOLD – the Effect will be to lower levels in Kariba – to allow the two to fill up, DEFEATING THE PURPOSE OF SUFFICIENT LEVELS IN KARIBA to generate electricity!!” if we use scientific procedures to ascertain issues we wont be making illogical conclusion like politicians. The truth is the two dams will be storing additional water for the kariba, by how much – studies have to be done, Period.
Chief Hydrologist – in line with your arguement, i.e. using “Scientific Procedures”, where will the “additional” water come from??
What makes sense with the two proposed dams, is simply DELAYING the Over spill wastage at Kariba.
Kariba was chosen in the first instance for it’s volume capacity, Batoka & Devil’s gorge will be small volume capacities – but yes have potential to generate Electricity – however in a drought situation as we have had – which dams between the three will you sacrifice – Allow water to proceed to kariba or fill up the two smaller dams with smaller generating capacity??
@Senior Engneer RTD,good observations. I believe there are already studies that were conducted in the past that have cataloged the main hydropower potentials on the Zambezi. The places you have mentioned should be part of them. In fact the Batoka Hydropower project is in fact already under discussion between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
@Bauze. To a certain extent I agree with you because feasibility studies carried out by Batoka Joint Venture Consultants showed that there is not much water that can be stored at Batoka Gorge and it will run as a run-of-the river scheme (water will be confined within the gorges). In my earlier thread I had said that this water can generate an additional 1600 MW and will go into storage unless the reservoir is full, which is rare these days of climate change when it can be spilled at Kariba Dam, or drawn from storage to generate power again. This is called conjunctive use of water. This project was shot down by Nawakwi, the then Minister of Energy in preference to developing Kafue Lower which has not yet been constructed.
Cont’d. Does it make sense to construct additional storage on the same river if you can’t easily fill the main reservoir? There have been years when there have been no spillage an indication of the dam not being full and even when the water has been spilled only one or two spillway gates have been used. There is no day when all six spillway gates have been used. A huge scour hole about 90m deep has developed at the plunge pool even with this little spillage and may endanger the dam wall. The best example to illustrate the concept of conjunctive use is on Kafue River. The water that is supposed to be spilled for power generation at Kafue Gorge will now generate electricity at ITT before it is used again at Kafue Gorge.
If it is important to give the public the correct information why is this PF Government saying that the load shedding is due to drought?
The TRUTH is that this water shortage was caused by intentional spilling ONE YEARS SUPPLY in 2011!
So who is giving out falsehoods?
The truth is that, it’s not possible to spill out an additional “ONE YEARS SUPPLY in 2011″ the same year. The effects would have been seen downstream by such effects like floods, bursting river banks, etc. further, the low levels was due to cumulative low rainfall for the last three seasons meaning that load shedding should have started in 2013. However Zesco continued to generate power with a view that in 2014 the situation will improve (in the past improvements were possible) however 2014 and 2015 were both not good enough to offset the deficit. Equally so 2016 will not be sufficient. Nothing to do with over-use of defective machines.
And our dull veep Inonge was saying in Parliament that we need at least 3 rainy seasons…what we need id to stop buying Chinese rubbish!!
The Veep was spot on! we need two more seasons including this one that makes three, to normalize things at kariba dam.
Devils Gorge again? can someone change that name please? better we have chagwa George.
If the beams are exposed and are “not supposed” then why is power generation continuing? It’s not just rainfall which is a factor it is also the level of usage! Why can’t anyone discuss that?
I usually react to statements coming from the people who are on the ground than some of these power hungry usually selfish politicians.
The government is doing its level best to attend to our electricity problems and many other more in the country, but it never gets credit for it.
Chi HH is again exposed by his lies on loadshedding. Which sane person honestly would deliberately stop his business without any reason? Doesnt HH realize that ZESCO is in business of electricity? And if he does, which I strongly doubt, why would it stop generating power which gives it the revenues? Now that he has seen the low water levels at Kariba, what is his lie? When late President Sata analyzed him and gve him the Under 5 name, people thought Mr. Sata was joking, no, he really meant it. HH has no direction for his party and his understanding of governance issues is very low.
If you have closely followed his ranting, you would agree what we are saying. At one point he even likened himself to President Obama, and God knows just how? Today, now that President Lungu is getting…