30 Hectares Of Crops Lost To Flooding In Gaza
Maputo, 16 Jan (AIM) – About 30 hectares of maize, in Chibuto district, in the southern Mozambican province of Gaza, have been lost due to flooding on the Limpopo River, caused by the ongoing discharges from the Massingir dam.
According to the Chibuto district director of infrastructure, Manuel Tivane, quoted in Monday’s issue of the independent daily “O País”, close to 19,000 people may have been affected by the floods.
“The floods destroyed the maize crop. Other crops were in development, and had not yet reached the ripening stage. Some farmers tried to collect something for consumption”, Tivane said, adding that “We have always taken steps to get these people to a safe place.”
In view of this situation, says the director, the authorities plan to support the people “with about 750 kilos of maize seed after the floods.”
Mozambique’s National Water Resource Management Directorate had warned of possible further flooding in the southern region of the country, which could make some of the roads in Gaza impassable.
The authorities in Chibuto district have also 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 flood is due to the increased flow of some of the major rivers in neighbouring South Africa and Eswatini. It is also threatening some districts in Maputo province, such as Magude and Moamba in the Incomati river basin.
Some parts of Magude district cannot be reached by road because increased discharges from some dams in South Africa have 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 also interrupted road traffic in Malhanganine, and made it impossible to use the road bridge over the Incomati.
(AIM)
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