Maputo, 14 Sep (AIM) – Mozambique’s Southern Regional Water Board (ARA-Sul) has announced an investment estimated at four million US dollars in the rehabilitation of Massingir Dam following the floods recorded this year on the Elefantes River.
The floods forced the automatic activation of the dam’s auxiliary spillway, an event that had never occurred in the infrastructure’s history.
According to ARA-Sul Director-General, Edgar Chongo, interviewed by AIM, the ongoing work involves replacing concrete blocks in the emergency discharge system and replacing electrical equipment.
“We are replacing concrete blocks at Massingir and also replacing electrical equipment. We are talking about an investment of approximately four million dollars. The volume of water flowing from upstream countries led to the simultaneous operation of the dam’s main discharge structures, eventually requiring the activation of the emergency mechanism”, Chongo said.
Massingir has three discharge and safety levels. The first is the bottom outlet, used to meet normal water supply needs. During flood situations, the main spillway comes into operation. There is also a third mechanism, the auxiliary spillway, designed as the dam’s final safety stage.
“The bottom outlet was operating at maximum capacity, the spillway was operating at maximum capacity, but the inflow from upstream countries remained high. That is when the emergency spillway was activated”, he explained.
According to Chongo, the system’s activation does not, in itself, represent a dam failure. On the contrary, it is a mechanism designed precisely to protect the infrastructure during extreme situations.
“That is precisely why it was designed to kick in. ARA-Sul has already begun replacing the affected components and has a contractor mobilized on-site. The initial phase of the intervention focuses on the concrete blocks removed by the emergency system, as well as the electrical equipment”, he said.
“Lessons learned from this year’s floods may also lead to enhanced safety measures for other hydraulic infrastructure in the southern region. At the Corumana Dam, which currently lacks an emergency spillway similar to the one at Massingir, ARA-Sul plans to build a system serving the same purpose”, he added.
Despite the challenges posed by the floods and the potential for extreme weather events, storage levels at the southern region’s major dams are considered satisfactory. According to Chongo, with the next rainy season about 30 days away, the Pequenos Libombos and Corumana dams showed storage levels close to 90 percent, while Massingir stood at over 70 percent.
“We have a satisfactory level, a very satisfactory one. ARA-Sul believes there is enough water to meet needs for the upcoming seasons. However, the situation could depend on the intensity and, above all, the duration of a potential El Niño event”, Chongo said.
If the phenomenon is severe but short-lived, the situation should remain under control. A severe and prolonged El Niño, on the other hand, could strain available reserves, as dams have limited capacity and their status depends on the length of the dry spell. Even so, the short- and medium-term outlook is positive.
Pc/Am/
