Mozambique’s Institute of National Disaster Management (INGC) has declared an “orange alert” due to the heavy rains that have fallen in recent days in the basins of the Limpopo, Incomati and Umbeluzi rivers in the south of the country, the official Mozambique News Agency reported on Sunday.
It quotes the spokesperson for INGC´s ground wing the National Emergency Operation Centre (CENOE), Belarmino Chivambo as saying this alert obliges the institutions involved in disaster management to monitor such phenomena as rainfall and winds, in preparation for possible flooding.
Chivambo said that the situation is currently under control, and the soils in the river valleys are not yet saturated. Nonetheless, he said rescue equipment is being positioned in various parts of the country in case it should be needed.
Should the rains in the Incomati basin persist, parts of Magude and Manhica districts will be in danger of flooding – notably the sugar area around Xinavane, the 3rd February administrative post, and Josina Machel Island.
Mozambique saw its worst disaster in living memory in 2000/2001 when flooding swept through the southern region killing 700 people driving half a million others away from their homes.
The flooding also swept away roads and bridges before living a trail of extensive damages to other key economic infrastructure such as electricity and water suppy and the government was forced to appeal for almost half a billion dollars from donors for reconstruction.
Source African Press Agency
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