Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambique’s Water Supply Investment and Assets Fund (FIPAG), in the northern province of Nampula, has started a second phase of water supply restrictions, in a bid to rationalise the dwindling amount of water available in the reservoir of the Monapo dam.
According to a report in Monday’s issue of the Maputo daily “Noticias”, the water supply restrictions include daily reductions of volume distributed during certain hours, so as to ensure smooth supply to every consumer.
The second phase, to run between September and November, is also a response to the current dry season which is likely to worsen the water shortage in Nampula.
The Northern Regional Water Board (ARA-Norte), the body that manages the Monapo dam, advised FIPAG in June to reduce the amount of water supplied by the dam from 40,000 to 31,000 cubic metres a day
This reduction was implemented between June and August. But in the second phase, starting in September, the amount of water available from the dam will be cut to no more than 25,000 cubic metres a day.
“As we await the rainy season, we will cautiously guide FIPAG to supply water by areas, in order to ensure that everyone in Nampula has some water, because we think a small amount is better than nothing,” ARA-Norte director general, Carlitos Omar said.
Meanwhile, FIPAG declared that efforts are underway to strengthen water supply through the opening of more boreholes, especially on the outskirts of the city.
Nampula city recorded, between October 2020 and March 2021, an unprecedented water shortage due to erratic rainfall, which left the reservoir with the lowest water levels ever seen.
