A severe drought is hitting Brazil’s largest city and thriving economic capital with no end in sight, threatening the municipal water supply to millions of people.
The water at the Cantareira reservoirs, which supply about nine million of the 20 million people in the metropolitan area, is at its lowest level ever amid the region’s worst drought in 45 years.
Other reservoirs are also in distress after 15 months of overstretching.
And more dry weather is forecast.
Prosecutors have threatened to sue the state government to make it begin rationing water, warning that Sao Paulo is facing “the worst water crisis ever to hit the region and the collapse of its entire reservoir system.”
But with Governor Geraldo Alckmin up for reelection in October, his administration has vowed to handle the crisis without rationing the city’s water.
State water company Sabesp has encouraged consumers to reduce their usage but also downplayed the shortage, saying it will transfer water from other dams and use emergency reserves if necessary.
It says it has enough supplies to last until March 2015 and has vowed not to implement rationing.
- Ration by stealth? -
But many Sabesp customers suspect their supplies are already being rationed.
“Last week we went four whole days without water,” said Adilson Becerra, a 36-year-old salesman who lives in the southern suburbs.
“From one day to the next we were left without water. Nobody told us anything. From Thursday to Sunday, not a single drop came out of the tap.”
In a recent survey by newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo, 46 percent of Sao Paulo residents reported having their water cut at least once so far this month, up from 35 percent in the previous survey in May.
The region’s rainy season is the southern hemisphere summer, from October to March. But the period was exceptionally dry in 2013-2014.
And another dry year is forecast for 2014-2015.
To deal with the drought, Sabesp has begun using water from the bottom of its reservoirs — so-called “dead volume” — but prosecutors told the company this posed a health risk.
The lack of rain has also hit Brazil’s main source of power, hydroelectric dams, forcing officials to turn to more expensive and more polluting thermoelectric plants.
“The situation is critical for both potable water and energy. The ideal thing would be for people to reduce their water consumption,” said Cristopher Vlavianos, the president of independent energy distributor Comerce.
www.punchng.com/news/severe-drought-hits-brazils-largest-city/

Thats life for you. Some people are complaining of overflooding while these ones are complaining of drought.

Ok...world cup has ended.

We might need to set up a committee to investigate this....

To each his own....

Brazil Drought

Nigeria Ebola

Liberia Ebola

Etc

hmm

Did the entire world travel to Brazil only to drink water or to play football?

This will surely be a large downside to the economy

Wey rain want finish pesin for Abuja. Can we export some rain to them, I'm sure they will be grateful.

“Last week we went four whole days without water,” said Adilson Becerra,

Damn,its more serious than I thought...

may God save them

ok

Hmmm

Thats serious o.

End time things!

ThankGod all these natural disasters don't occur in Nigeria. ..

Our own disaster na corruption

After the world cup?

femimike1: may God save them

amen

we are very lucky in Nigeria that we don't have natural disasters like other countries our own Airtificial disasters are our politicians(looters)

The creator will see them through during this difficult time.

It is well.

Divine judgment for excessive sex carnivals and gay approval

Jesuspistol: Divine judgment for excessive sex carnivals and gay approval

9jarians


Is 9ja better then

That's too bad. Good thing they have emergency reserves though.

Hmm

This is Nigeria's opportunity to shine , export 6 trillion liters or water to them - we get enough wey dey even flood calabar

The govnor said they have a reserve that cud last till mar 2015 for Over 20million people

Buh the people are already complaining of indirect rationing.


I'm sure dir govnor is reading niaja newspaper.

---

In another news Other countries seems to be Proactive to disaster management and control than my dear Nigeria.

lilprinze: we are very lucky in Nigeria that we don't have natural disasters like other countries our natural disasters are our politicians(looters)

We have artificial disasters,drought can occur anywhere tho

justi4jesu: To each his own....

Brazil Drought

Nigeria Ebola

Liberia Ebola

Etc

This got me laffing. True though. https://www.nairaland.com/1868316/10-strange-birth-customs-around#25671390

lilprinze: we are very lucky in Nigeria that we don't have natural disasters like other countries our own Airtificial disasters are our politicians(looters)

Abi o my brother, may God just save us 4rm dem o