Flooding In Limpopo And Incomati Basins
Maputo, 3 Jan (AIM) – The authorities in Chibuto district, in the southern Mozambican province of Gaza, have urged the public to abandon immediately flood-prone areas in the Limpopo River basin, following a sharp increase in discharges from the Massingir dam, further upstream.
The warning came from Chibuto district administrator, Sergio Moiane. Cited by Mozambican Television (TVM), he said the dam has increased its discharges from 300 to 400 cubic metres a second.
He added that the disaster risk management committees in the Limpopo basin have been re-activated and urged the public to pay attention to the information transmitted by the relevant authorities.
“We are monitoring the situation through our committees, and we hope that people are attentive and avoid crossing the river”, said Moiane. “We also recommend that pumps be removed from the river banks. As soon as the situation improves, they can be put back”.
Moiane stressed that, although the Limpopo has risen above flood alert level, the situation remains under control. “The alert level at the bridge over the river at Sicacate is six metres, and the river is now 6.8 metres high. No community has yet been affected, but if the Limpopo bursts its banks, about 30 hectares of various crops could be inundated”.
Flooding is also threatening some districts in Maputo province, such as Magude and Moamba in the Incomati river basin.
Some parts of Magude district are now impassable because increased discharges from some dams in South Africa has raised the level of the Incomati.
According to the Magude district administrator, Lazaro Bambamba, the flooding has already affected about 1,500 households in Malemane locality. “We have lost some crops, including 7.5 hectares of maize, beans and sweet potatoes”, he said.
The flood has interrupted road traffic in Malhanganine, and made it impossible to use the road bridge over the Incomati.
Bambamba warned that a major flood surge is travelling down the river. “Our concern is to warn all of society, so that everybody is on the alert, and they do not approach the river”, he said. “We are also re-activating the disaster risk management committees, so that the information flows and there are no victims”.
(AIM)
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