Dondo - At least 2,650 people living along the banks of the Kwanza River in Massangano municipality could be affected by flooding caused by the release of water from the reservoirs of the Laúca and Cambambe dams.
According to the forecasts of the Provincial Civil Protection and Fire Service, the floods could affect the towns of Cagia de Mulende, Carinda, Ngolo, Cambondo, Cassequel, Quixingango, Lola, Maculumbi, Mulende, Ndala Ngombe and Musseque Cariapuco, communities in the municipality of Massangano, in northern Cuanza-Norte province.
Speaking to the press, the spokeswoman of the Ministry of Interior (MININT), Esperança Rodriguez, said that since December, firefighters have been conducting awareness campaigns in these communities to prevent the risk of flooding.
The spokeswoman added that at least nine awareness campaigns have been carried out and as many in these areas to assess the risk to the population and that so far the situation is under control, as the discharges, which are being carried out in phases, do not yet pose any risk to the local population.
The increase in the water level of the Kwanza River forced the National Electricity Transmission Network (RNT-EP) to open the sluice gates of the Laúca (Malanje) and Cambambe hydroelectric dams on Monday.
The release, which takes place every year in March and April, causes flooding in the lower Cuanza region, devastating agricultural lands, with the Massangano region at the epicenter. DS/IMA/PBC/DAN/AMP
