Maputo water shortage begins

The moderate to strong rain that has fallen in the last few days in the city and province of Maputo and caused urban floods in all neighborhoods and still a tragedy in the Hulene almost did not contribute to the filling of the reservoir the Small Libombos and for that it is a necessity the saving of municipalities of Boane, Matola and the Mozambican capital. However in the Center and North at least two basins are overflowing causing flooding and property damage.

The rainfall, which in the last two days exceeded 50 millimeters in 24 hours, contributed very little to the filling of the reservoir from which the water that supplies the city and province of Maputo comes from.

On Friday (16) the national hydrological bulletin registered a 19.77 percent filler in the Pequenos Libombos dam and, on Tuesday morning (20), had increased only to 20.03 percent.

However, more than raining in Maputo, the filling of the reservoir is dependent on the rainfall that falls upstream of the Umbeluzi river basin that is born in Swaziland, where it flows in 3,140 square kilometers, passes through South Africa and enters our country, where the remaining 2,240 square kilometers, by the border town of Goba.

In the neighboring country it has even been raining but the Mnjoli dam, where the swazis retain the water they also need for their consumption, maintains the same level of filling as the week ending, 47.12 percent.

Rainfall and urban floods in Maputo, Matola and Beira

Photo A Mundzuku Ka HIn Meanwhile, the weather predicts that "moderate to strong" rains will continue in the next 24 hours, which is expected to continue to cause isolated urban flooding in Maputo cities (in the districts of Maxaquene A and C, Luis Cabral, Chamanculo B and C , Munhuana, Xipamanine, 

Airport A and B, Mafalala, Urbanization, Laulane, Costa del Sol, Hulene, Mutanhane, Magoanine) and Matola (in the districts of Machava A, Km15, Nkobe, Tsalala Ndlavela, São Dâmaso, Infulene, Singatela, Clover, Patrice Lumumba, Matola A, D, J, H, F, Kongolote, Fomento e Libertad).

Rainfall is expected to extend to Sofala province where it is expected to flood urban areas in Ndunda, Manga, Vaz, Munhava, Maraza, Praia Nova, Mascarrenha, Macurungo and Chaimite districts (in the city of Beira) and continue to increase hydrometric Pungwe basin, which has been above the alert level in the Mafambisse hydrological station since last week, maintaining the interruption of the road traffic from Mutua to Chissange, flooding of riverside machambas in the low Mafambisse area, isolated floods in the localities of Tsangua, Nharicondza and Matenga and conditioning road traffic on the bridge between the towns of Lomaco and Têxtil, in the Nhamatanda district.

Norte de Cabo Delgado without electricity

Also in the Central Region, the crossing by barge between the localities of Guara Guara and Bandua is interrupted due to the rise of the Búzi river flow.

According to the national hydrological bulletin, the road linking Bandua to Ampara and Guara Guara to the Gruja is also interrupted due to the transshipment of Lake Mucaranga and the rise of the Chiredzi River flow respectively.

Further north of Mozambique, although the precipitation has reduced the Messalo River in the province of Cabo Delgado, it is close to its alert level at the Nairoto station, causing strong currents that overturned a 100KV high voltage tower linking the Macomia Substation to the Owasse Substation, leaving the districts of Palma, Mocímboa da Praia, Nangade, Mueda and Muedumbe, without electricity since Monday night (19).