The Zambezi Valley Water Board (ARA-Zambeze) warned on Friday of likely flooding on the lower Zambezi following increased discharges from the Cahora Bassa dam.Large amounts of water have been flowing into the Cahora Bassa lake from Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the dam operating company, Hidroelectrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB), has announced that, in order to ensure the security of the dam, the amount of water discharged will, as from Saturday, rise from 3,200 to 4,400 cubic metres a second.According to the ARA-Zambeze alert, when this surge of water from the dam reaches the lower Zambezi it will cause localized flooding in Caia and Marromeu districts. The level of the river is expected to reach six metres in Caia and 5.8 metres in Marromeu – in each case this is a metre above flood alert level. Access roads between Marromeu town and surrounding villages are expected to be flooded.Further upstream, in Mutarara district, the Zambezi will also be above flood level, and is expected to isolate the locality of Inhangoma.Faced with this forecast, the National Emergency Operational Centre is already warning people living near the banks of the Zambezi and its tributaries to move to higher ground. People are also advised not to make any attempt to cross swollen rivers. The warnings cover the entire Zambezi valley from Tete city to the Indian Ocean.Rivers in central and southern Mozambique are also on the rise. The ferry service across the Buzi river, in the central province of Sofala, was suspended when the rising waters completely submerged the ferry cables.In the far south, the Maputo river at Madupula, in Matutuine district, has risen to within 15 centimetres of flood alert level. The Limpopo and Incomati rivers have also risen substantially, but do not pose an immediate threat.
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