POWER RESTORED TO NORTHERN MOZAMBIQUE

The Mozambican electricity company, EDM, on Monday restored the power supply to northern Mozambique, after a month long power cut, caused by catastrophic flooding in the central province of Zambezia.A massive flood on the Licungo river on 12 January swept away ten pylons in Mocuba district on the transmission line carrying power from the Cahora Bassa dam to the north. This deprived the northern provinces of Nampula, Niassa and Cabo Delgado and the northern districts of Zambezia of electricity.EDM has installed a temporary alternative line, using wooden pylons. Because of the impossibility of approaching the area overland, even using four wheel drive vehicles, the pylons were lowered into place using a cargo helicopter hired from South Africa.EDM had initially hoped to restore the power supply by the end of January, but continued heavy rains in Zambezia made this impossible, and the electricity could not be switched back on, using the alternative line, until Monday morning.The other major disruption to the Mozambican economy caused by the Zambezia floods is the interruption to traffic along the main north-south highway (ENI), which was cut in five places. The worst damage was to the bridge carrying the road across the Licungo at Mocuba town. Parts of the bridge were swept away at both its northern and southern ends. The National Roads Administration (ANE) is now forecasting that provisional repairs to the bridge, allowing traffic to flow across it, will be complete by Sunday.Another bridge on ENI, which was swept away near Nampevo, has been repaired with a dirt bypass, which is undergoing constant repairs due to the continuing rains. Temporary repairs have also been made to the smaller breaks in the road.