Despite the abundant rainfall in the past weeks, the Uthukela region has been identified as a ‘drought hot-spot’.
Currently, 256 towns and surrounding communities are reported to be affected by the drought.

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The Department of Water & Sanitation in KwaZulu-Natal is set to roll out the Emergency Drought Mitigation Plan in areas affected by drought in the province.

This comes as Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and her counterpart, Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, set clear directives to address drought challenges in a joint Ministers and Members of Executive Councils (MINMEC) meeting that was held in Johannesburg last week.

The Emergency Drought Mitigation Plan comprises short-, medium- and long-term interventions designed to mitigate drought effects.
The department has since set aside approximately R97 million in the short term for drought intervention in the province.

Some of the short-term interventions to be implemented will include implementing drought operating rules, groundwater resource development, water tankering from available sources, rainwater harvesting, and the protection and use of springs, among others.

The New Borehole Programme has identified 1118 new boreholes, 3000 water tanks have been made available to provide water to affected communities.

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