Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo)
24 December 2007
Maputo — Torrential rains in central Mozambique and in neighbouring countries are threatening further serious flooding on the Zambezi river.
The deputy director of Mozambique's relief agency, the National Disasters Management Institute (INGC), Joao Ribeiro, cited in Monday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias", said a helicopter is now being used to monitor the situation throughout the length of the Zambezi valley.
The INGC has put boats at Caia and Chemba on the south bank of the Zambezi for use in possible rescue operations. Plans are also under way to put boats further downstream at Marromeu.
Despite government warnings, after the major floods of January and February, that people should not try to live on the Zambezi flood plain, much less on islands in the river, a significant number of farmers ignored this advice. They found the temptation of living alongside their fields in the most fertile parts of the valley too strong to resist.
According to the INGC, there are at least 500 people on Resende island, and a further 100 on Nhane island, both in Caia district.
In some areas, disaster risk committees have been revived. These were instrumental in evacuating about 100 families from flood-prone areas in Mutarara district, in Tete province.
Over the weekend, the Cahora Bassa dam increased its discharges into the Zambezi from 3,340 to 4,500 metres a second. A note from the National Water Board (DNA) says the dam operating company, HCB, decided to keep the discharges at this rate, despite a reduction in the flow of water into the Cahora Bassa lake.
HCB is thus reducing the level of the lake, so that it will be able to absorb the much larger inflows from Zambia and Zimbabwe that are expected later in the rainy season, in January and February. If this strategy is successful, Cahora Bassa will not have to release a flood wave of 8,000 cubic metres a second into the river, as happened in February.
Further south, the Pungoe river is also in flood, and there are reports that one person, carried away by the flood waters, has drowned in Nhamatanda district.
The Buzi river is also rising, and Buzi district administrator Sergio Moiane, told "Noticias" he feared the river would soon reach "critical" level. The Buzi burst its banks earlier in the month, but subsided last week. No the river is in flood again at Goonda, and the district government has reactivated its disaster risk committee. Four motor boats are patrolling the river, monitoring the situation.
According to the DNA, localized flooding occurred in the northern city of Nampula on Saturday, when 128 millimetres of rain fell in 24 hours.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2007 Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
