Government halts supply of irrigation water in Maputo province from tomorrow – Mozambique

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Government halts supply of irrigation water in Maputo province from tomorrow – Mozambique

2:35 CAT | 14 Dec 2016

cmcgruppo.com (File photo) / Pequenos Libombos dam

The Pequenos Libombos Dam will stop supplying water to irrigation systems in Maputo province starting tomorrow. Water levels are still below normal and the Government says that the measure aims to guarantee water for consumption.

“This is a situation we have been managing since last year. Since then, we have stopped producing energy. We have gradually been reducing water for the big agricultural companies, and for the small ones too, from 75 percent to 50; now we are on 25 percent. To continue, we have to have other management scenarios, which are to stop water for irrigation completely,” Minister of Water Resources Carlos Bonete explained at the end of a visit to the dam on Monday.

The water shortage at the Pequenos Libombos dam, which collects water for the Umbelúzi treatment station and in turn supplies the cities of Maputo, Matola and the Boane district, is a result of the drought which has plagued seven provinces of the country, including all of the south, since the beginning of the year.

Carlos Bonete says that it would be ideal if rain were to fall in large quantities in the coming days and revive the discharge capacity of the dam, which is 4.2 cubic meters per second, but which at the moment is at 3 cubic meters per second. For now, water for consumption is assured, but everybody will need to make economies to prevent more serious scarcity.

“Using water with care means using only what is necessary. We need to stop watering gardens and washing cars with a hose, and keep in mind that water should be available for everyone. People should be aware that water is scarce and that everybody saving a little can help address the situation,” Bonete said.

With the population growth in Maputo, the Pequenos Libombos dam is increasingly unable to respond effectively to demand, so the Government is mobilising resources to solve the problem through the exploitation of aquifers [ground water] as is the case of the newly created Intaka Distributor Centre.

Restriction will affect agricultural production

The Minister of Water Resources is aware that the suspension of irrigation water supply will have implications for agriculture, but “we have to start cutting somewhere”, he said. “If rain falls and the situation improves, we can lift the red alert,” Bonete added.

The Incomáti basin, where there are restrictions on sugar cane production, also has low water levels, as does the Limpopo basin. “There is water in the Massingir dam, but since it has problems, there is no way to do the discharges and solve our problems. We expect more rain to come and help improve the situation,” the minister said.

The Pequenos Libombos dam has a storage quota of 47, but at the moment it is at the 36.

Source: O País