Main rivers in southern Mozambique approach alert levels

Maputo, 18 Jan (AIM) –Mozambique’s Southern Regional Water Board (ARA-Sul) has warned of a rise in the water levels of the main rivers, as result of moderate to heavy rainfall (30 to 50 millimeters in 24 hours) announced by the National Meteorological Institute (INAM).

According to the ARA-Sul statement, the rainfall may flood riverside agricultural areas and restrict the passage of people and goods on some access roads in the southern provinces.

For this reason, “ARA-Sul is calling on society to take precautionary measures when travelling to the Maputo, Umbelúzi, Incomáti, Limpopo and Save rivers, as well as when crossing them, at the risk of being swept away by the force of the water.”

The rise in the levels of the rivers was one of the themes of the first meeting this year of the Maputo Provincial Government, which assessed the situation of the river basins in the current rainy season.

According to the meeting’s spokesperson, Lutero Gimo, the government is concerned about the possible impacts of the rise in the flows of the region’s main river basins, and so, in close coordination with the ARA-Sul, it will implement a plan to avoid flooding.

“We will continue to monitor our province’s hydroelectric fulfillment very regularly, as well as the rains that fall upstream”, Gimo said.

He also guaranteed that the provincial executive, in close coordination with ARA-Sul, will implement a plan for the exploitation of the reservoirs in order to maintain an appropriate inflow capacity and safeguard the integrity of the infrastructures.

But the National Directorate of Water Resources, in the Ministry of Public Works, is less alarmist than ARA-Sul. It publishes a daily bulletin on the situation of the rivers, and Wednesday’s bulletin states that none of the river basins have reached flood alert levels

The level of the Umbeluzi river is oscillating, but tending to rise. The other rivers, however, are tending to fall.

Over the next 72 hours, says the bulletin, the only rivers likely to reach flood alert levels are the Megaruma and the Messalo, in the northern province of Cabo Delgado.

Rivers likely to rise, but without reaching alert levels, are the Zambezi, the Licungo, the Rovuma, the Montepuez and the Lurio.

Moderate flooding, due to heavy rains, is forecast for parts of Maputo and Matola cities.

(AIM)

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