South African team arrives to help remove fuel from the Umbeluzi River – Watch

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South African team arrives to help remove fuel from the Umbeluzi River – Watch

5:10 CAT | 15 Feb 2021

Picture: Notícias

This Saturday, a team of South African technicians reinforced the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources in the task of removing fuel spilled into the Umbeluzi River in Boane district, Maputo province.

Their arrival was announced at a press conference at the Pequenos Libombos dam by Deputy Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources, Cecília Chamutota.

In addition to removing spilled fuel, the interventions foreseen include adding products to the water to restore the riverbed to its natural state.

In the first phase of the work, lasting about a week and starting from last Saturday, nothing will be done to constrain the supply of drinking water to residents of Greater Maputo – comprising Boane, Matola, Marracuene and Maputo city.

Deputy Minister Chamutota noted that, when the spill occurred on the Umbeluzi River, the floodgates of the Pequenos Libombos dam were closed, and that there was therefore no reason to fear contaminated water reaching the taps of families in the region.

Chamutota said that drinking water supply to the Greater Maputo area was guaranteed, not least because the amount of fuel spilled was insignificant when compared to the volume of the Umbeluzi River during the rainy season.

In addition to removing the fuel still visible on the river surface, the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources will, with the help of South African technicians, assess in detail the quality of the water in the Umbeluzi River in the region where the accident occurred.

Umbeluzi.domingo — *Photo: Jornal Domingo*

In the meantime, the biggest concern was the local community, which uses the river water directly, and her ministry was conducting an awareness campaign in order to protect them, the deputy minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources said.

Source: O País / STV