About 7,000 people have been severely affected in southern Zambia’s Mazabuka district following the drying up of a river which is the source of their water, a senior government official said on Monday.
The Magoye River situated in a remote area of the district is drying up due to increased human activities including sand mining, which was causing siltation and blockage upstream.
The drying up of the river has resulted in people and livestock lacking drinking water, and the disappearance of fishing and farming activities.
Jonas Chanda, Minister of Water Development, Sanitation and Environment, who led a delegation to inspect the river said illegal activities on the river as well as other water bodies around the country need urgent protection through a statutory instrument, according to a release from the ministry.
The government, he said, has since directed the Water Resources Management Authority, a regulator of water bodies in the country, to urgently review all water permits on rivers, dams and water bodies to prevent over-abstraction of water and ensure equitable access to water for all.
