The lake is now less than 25 percent full for the first time since the 1992 great drought. Masvingo did not receive good rainfall this year and therefore the water levels remained very low even during the peak of the rainy season.
Masvingo mayor Alderman Femias Chakabuda said people should brace for a serious water shortage as the rate at which water was being drained to irrigate the sugar plantations was a matter for concern. Farmers said that the lake was their major source of water and would negatively affect their activities if it ran dry.
According to information provided by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority, most major dams in Masvingo are all below 25 percent full. The completion of the giant Tokwe Mukosi dam would have eased the worries, but according to sources the completion of the dam is now indefinite.