Africa-Press – Angola. The Executive, through the Ministry of Public Works, Urbanism and Housing, will, in addition to containment and stabilization, also invest in a prevention program to tackle the causes of ravines in the country.
The information was provided yesterday in the municipality of Lucapa, province of Lunda-Norte, by the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Road Fund and Emergency Works, Conceição Cristóvão, on the sidelines of the consignment of works to stanch the ravine in the neighborhood of 10 de Novembro .
The Ministry of Public Works, Urbanism and Housing and the 7 Cunhas group carried out the consignment, in an act witnessed by the holder of the portfolio, Carlos Gregório dos Santos, and by the governor of Lunda-Norte, Deolinda Vilarinho. The contract signatories, valued at around AOA 650 million, were the national director of Public Works, Lau Nkiampuku, and António Cunha, managing partner of the company responsible for carrying out the project (7 Cunhas).
Speaking to the press during the act led by the Minister of Public Works, Urbanism and Housing, Carlos Gregório dos Santos, accompanied by the governor of Lunda-Norte, Deolinda Vilarinho, the manager of the Road Fund said that the financial resources for containment and study of the causes of the emergence of ravines have already been assured, with the authorization of the Holder of Executive Power.
“The program has two aspects. The first has to do with containing the ravines and the other, on which we are already working, has to do with a vast program that includes prevention, attacking the causes that originate the ravines”, said Conceição Cristovao.
So far, at country level, 742 ravines have been identified, underlined the PCA of the Road Fund and Emergency Works. Soon, he reaffirmed, the Ministry will start a deep work with the Municipal Administrations and Provincial Governments to identify the first signs throughout the national territory, so that they do not reach alarming proportions.
He said that, within the framework of the National Ravine Stabilization Plan in the country, those that are already in a critical state are being stopped with support from the Emergency Programme.
Lucapa ravine
Approximately 650 million kwanzas will be invested in the gully in the 10 de Novembro district, in the municipal seat of Lucapa, Lunda-Norte province, in Lunda-Norte province, which is about 800 meters wide.
Conceição Cristóvão said that the Executive is giving priority to ravines that threaten to destroy social and economic infrastructures and homes. In Lunda-Norte alone, 84 ravines have been identified, of which five have already been set aside for the start of containment work. For the work on the Lucapa ravine, in particular, the company 7 Cunhas was hired, he explained.
He announced that, shortly, contracts will be signed for the stagnation of ravines along National Road 225, which connects the city of Dundo, capital of Lunda-Norte, and six other municipalities located in the south of the province, namely, Lóvua, Cuilo , Caungula, Cuango, Xá-Muteba and Capenda-Camulemba.
The Minister of Public Works, Urban Planning and Housing, Carlos Gregório dos Santos, also noted the progress of work on National Road 180, between the municipality of Lucapa, in Lunda-Norte, and Saurimo, in Lunda-Sul province.
Works on the Lucapa/Saurimo bypass are completed in March
The asphalting works of the remaining 20 kilometers on the National Road (EN) 180, in the bypass of the municipality of Lucapa, province of Lunda-Norte, and the city of Saurimo, capital of Lunda-Sul, were completed in March this year.
The head of Provincial Services of the Roads Institute of Angola (INEA), Francisco Tchiquendja Eleno, assured that the company Grinner, responsible for carrying out the section, is committed to delivering the work within the contractual deadlines.
Speaking to the press following the working visit of the Minister of Public Works, Urban Planning and Housing, the official said that of the 145 kilometers of road length, only twenty had yet to be completed.
Without mentioning the start date of the contract, which was paralyzed several times allegedly due to non-compliance with the contractual commitments of the construction company, Francisco Tchiquendja Eleno explained that there are 16 kilometers left to finish the work on that road.
The base of the asphalt, according to the head of INEA Provincial Services in Lunda-Norte, is already prepared, only the last layer is waiting for the completion of the project, whose road will contribute to the fluid movement of people, goods, exchanges of services and goods.
As for the visit by the Minister of Public Works, Urbanism and Housing, who assessed the progress of the works, the head of INEA Provincial Services considered that it demonstrates the importance that the Executive attributed to the project.
In terms of structure, he clarified that the road is designed with two carriageways measuring seven meters on each side, including the shoulder for pedestrians. Francisco Tchiquendja Eleno declared that, despite the significant delays in the physical execution of the works, the eastern region of the country will be well served with a road with a socio-economic impact.
Road users, especially truck drivers responsible for transporting various goods, will have no reason to complain, as the Government is making available a modern road with commendable profiles. “The movement of people and goods will be done safely, efficiently and without reasons for dissatisfaction”, he assured.
Between 2012 and 2017, the Government made large investments to improve the road infrastructure network in the province of Lunda-Norte, judging by the territorial extension and existing road network, since the beginning of the research, prospecting and exploration process of diamonds, including the opening of “pricks” for security along the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Lunda-Norte shares a border of 770 kilometres, divided into 650 land and 120 rivers, with the DRC, which led to the opening of other roads so that the activity of protection bodies at the border limits could be carried out without constraints.
Data provided by local authorities show that Lunda-Norte has more than six thousand kilometers of road network, of which around one thousand have been paved in recent years, as part of public investment.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
