Mozambique: Southern dams at low levels – Notícias

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambique: Southern dams at low levels – Notícias

3:41 CAT | 24 Nov 2020

Picture: Noticias

The reservoirs of Pequenos Libombos, Corumana and Massingir have critical levels of water storage. The situation threatens the availability of water and requires the adoption of conservation measures and rational use, Notícias reports today.

The Hydrological Bulletin of the Regional Administration of Águas do Sul (ARA-Sul) reveals that the dams which supply water to the Maputo Metropolitan Region are collectively less than 30% full.

According to the document, Pequenos Libombos, Corumana and Massingir in the last few days registered a slight reduction in filling volumes now below 41%.

The forecast for the 2020/2021 rainy season suggests normal to above normal rains in the southern region between October and December. The scenario is reversed in the second half, with normal to below normal rainfall expected.

The head of Water Resources Services in the Technical Department of ARA-Sul, Lizete Dias, says that the low rainfall recorded in the first months of the present rainy season could compromise the availability of water in the Pequenos Libombos dam.

“We are doing rational management, and have made 100 percent water available in the cities of Maputo, Matola and Vila de Boane, and 30 percent for agriculture. It is true that we are concerned because the levels are dropping a lot, now standing at 20% of storage in the [Pequenos Libombos] reservoir,” Dias added.

She explained that the dams were designed to store and guarantee water for three consecutive years without rain, but the south had experienced low rainfall for the sixth consecutive year, pre-empting full storage.

“In addition to drought, Greater Maputo has very high demand, leading to the collapse of the supply system. We think it is worth taking precautions, because the water levels in the Pequenos Libombos dam are falling significantly,” she adds.

Lizete Dias further said that water supply from Corumana remained dependent on the conclusion of treatment station construction works.

Source: Notícias