Angola: Rain Destroys Damba Road and Retention Basin in Malanje Province

Liv Bruce / Unsplash
(file photo)
4 February 2024
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

Malanje — The heavy rains that fell over Malanje in recent days caused, on Sunday, the total destruction of the retention basin and the closure of the road that connects to the Damba prison establishment, in the municipality of Mucari.

The rains caused the river's flow to rise, which, in turn, resulted in the destruction of the water retention dam.

ANGOP learned on site that the situation is causing erosion of the bed and road, in addition to the dragging of trees due to the current of water.

The aforementioned basin was built more than two years ago with the aim of retaining water for irrigation for the "Agri-Damba" agricultural project, and for fishing and pastoralism for the riverside population.

According to the Provincial Director of Infrastructure and Equipment of the Ministry of the Interior in Malanje, Superintendent Ivory Tonga, the barrier erected along the basin gave way due to the pressure of the retained water, so efforts will be made to overcome the situation.

He stated that the landslide began slowly on Friday (2), with a team already made up of officers from the National Institute of Roads of Angola (INEA), the Provincial Office of Infrastructure and Technical Services and the Department of Public Works, evaluating the technical state of the basin, to find solutions.

He highlighted that the team concluded that there was an urgent need to build a bridge of at least 15 meters in length, to allow circulation on that section to resume.

As a result, a delegation from the Ministry of Public Works arrived in Malanje on Monday (5) to visit the site, in order to assess the damage and define ways of resolving it.

The aforementioned dam is located five kilometers from the National Road 230 diversion and is the only access point towards the Damba Prison and the neighborhoods of Safa, Bingui-Bumba, Caginga and others.

At this time, the residents of these neighborhoods, the employees and the penal population of the Damba prison establishment, are trapped, with no possibility of crossing, although technicians from INEA and the Infrastructures of the Interior Delegation, advance the possibility of opening a road alternative access to the site, from the Ana Quixito neighborhood, in the Catala region. NC/PBC/DOJ

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