The strategy, known as the big flush, has been used in two previous drought years.

Residents of Zimbabwe’s drought-hit southern city of Bulawayo are on Wednesday being encouraged to flush their toilets at the same time each day.

The city has recently been hit by severe water rationing and needs synchronised flushing to unblock the sewage system.

Bulawayo’s sewage system wasn’t designed for water cuts.

But severe water rationing, lasting up to 72 hours a week, has been imposed on all parts of the city.

That’s playing havoc with sewage reticulation, as the system needs regular flows of water through it.

As a solution, the Bulawayo City Council has called on residents who do have water, to flush their toilets at the same time each day, at around 6 am and 8 pm.

The state-run Chronicle said the strategy, known as the big flush, has been used in two previous drought years.