​Ugu District Municipality embarked on a Drought Awareness Campaign in Harding yesterday.The persistent high temperatures resulting in no rain has placed our water supply systems under severe strain due to water shortages in the area.Water levels at our Harding dams have dropped significantly which poses a serious threat to water supply in Harding and surrounding areas. The municipality has instituted strict water restrictions in the area to curtail water consumption to ensure that the existing water supply sustains communities for a prolonged period until the arrival of significant rainfall. In the meantime, the Municipality supplies water through water tankers from Port Shepstone to significant parts of the Harding areas which has placed a substantial strain on municipal resources to cope with the demand.Municipal council has on its last sitting resolved to institute due processes of declaring Umuziwabantu a disaster area as espoused by the Disaster Management Act. And while this process is ensuing, the municipality has embarked on a vigorous drought awareness campaign where it will be engaging with all the key stakeholders in Harding and surrounding areas.It is no more a fairy-tale that Harding and surrounding areas are faced with water shortages due to the prolonged drought in the area and the municipality urges residents to significantly adjust their water-consumption patterns.ENDSISSUED BY:UGU DISTRICT MUNICIPALITYFor more information and media queries contact:Senior Manager: Mayoralty and CommunicationsMr France ZamaFrance.Zama@ugu.websitesupport.co.za