---

---

Mozambique: Cahora Bassa Reduces Discharges

14 January 2008

---

Maputo — The Cahora Bassa dam, in the central Mozambican province of Tete, has reduced its discharges into the Zambezi river from 6,600 to 6,200 cubic metres a second, according to Monday's bulletin from the National Water Board (DNA).

But while this will bring some relief to flooded areas in the Zambezi valley, the level of the river on its lower stretches is still expected to continue rising. This is partly because it takes a couple of days for water released at Cahora Bassa to reach the lower Zambezi, and partly because tributaries downstream from Cahora Bassa, notably the Shire river, are also making major contributions to the flood.

The DNA says that the levels of the other major rivers in central Mozambique - the Licungo, the Pungue, the Buzi and the Save - are "stationary", and are expected to remain stable over the next 48 hours.

Operations have continued in the Zambezi valley to move people, by force if necessary, from dangerous zones onto higher ground. A relief official cited on Radio Mozambique on Monday afternoon put the total number of people evacuated so far at about 57,000.

Despite the floods, the education authorities are trying to ensure that classes begin this month as scheduled. Thus although the small town of Nova Mambone, on the Save river, has been flooded twice in the space of a fortnight, the local government insists that the school year will open on time - even if that means that children in the accommodation centres set up for Nova Mambone flood victims will be learning in tents rather than orthodox classrooms.

Be the first to Write a Comment!

---