Maputo — The reconstruction of Julius Nyerere Avenue in Maputo could be delayed following the heavy rains that hit the Mozambican capital on 15 January.

A ten kilometre section was destroyed in the floods that hit Maputo in 2000 and repair work was due to be completed in February this year. However, a new crater has been opened by the rain.

According to a statement from the Maputo Municipal Council, due to the exceptional circumstances the contractual date for the conclusion of rehabilitation work will be reviewed.

The work is budgeted at 12.5 million US dollars with funds provided by the Council and the World Bank.

There has been criticism of the standard of the rehabilitation work on the road given that it should have been specifically designed to withstand the impact of flooding. However, the Council statement acknowledges that the damage was caused by water from the surrounding area.

The heavy rain in the capital on 15 January resulted in the death of five people and damaged infrastructure. Three hundred houses were destroyed with another 500 seriously damaged. More than a thousand houses were submerged.

The poor drainage and sanitation systems meant that storm water and waste water were mixed, causing a serious threat of outbreaks of diarrhoeal disease.

People have complained about the state of the capital’s inadequate drainage system. In particular, the Council has been blamed for failing to unblock the storm drains filled with sand and rubbish.