Africa-Press – Angola. The Chinese ambassador to Angola, Gong Tao, highlighted this Thursday the importance of the Cunene River Water Transfer System, in the Cafu region, in the practice of agriculture and combating drought in the communities.
Speaking to the press at the end of the visit to verify the operation of the Cafu channel pumping centre, Gong Tao recognized that it was a larger project carried out by the Angolan Government, for the benefit of the population.
The diplomat said that the investment is of great importance for combating the drought that has plagued this southern region of the country for many years, thus guaranteeing the supply of water for consumption by the population and for livestock.
He suggested that the 160-kilometre-long open channel should be explored, especially in the practice of irrigation agriculture, aiming at socio-economic development in the province.
“With my visit to Cunene province and the Cafu project, our part will continue to work with the Angolan Government to develop more projects of this nature within the framework of good relations”, he said.
He informed that the fight against drought could be one of the priority areas and that the two parties can develop, in the future, as well as identify new areas of cooperation when necessary.
Gong Tao underlined that these relationships and technological capabilities that Chinese companies demonstrate can support and contribute even more to Angola’s modernization for its socio-economic development.
For his part, the Secretary of State for Water, Manuel Quintino, said that the pumping center of the Cafu canal water transfer system works, at this time, with an electric pump with a capacity of one cubic meter per second.
He explained that the other two electric pumps are in reserve only when necessary to meet the needs of the province, in terms of water supply.
Manuel Quintino recalled that the construction of the Ndue and Calucuve Dams is underway, with a physical execution not quite advanced, as they are waiting for a financial quota that will allow the progress of the projects in harmony.
The Chinese ambassador, Gong Tao, accompanied by the Secretary of State for Water, Manuel Quintino, are on a two-day visit to Cunene province.
The channel, inaugurated in April this year by the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, consists of a system for capturing and transferring water from the Cunene River to various villages, through a 160-kilometre adductor channel.
It has 30 chimpacas (places for watering cattle), with a capacity of 30 million liters each.
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