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Flood warnings for villages
05/02/2008 19:37 - (SA)
Luaka - Zambia and Zimbabwe have agreed to release rising waters from the cross-border Kariba dam next week in a move that officials warned could lead to the flooding of nearby villages.
The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), managers of the giant dam, said one spillway gate would be opened at noon on Monday to minimise structural damage following heavy rains, while other gates may be opened without notice.
"Due to possible flooding downstream of the Kariba Dam, the general public and communities living along the banks are kindly advised to take this notice seriously to avoid loss of life and damage to property," the statement said on Tuesday.
Authorities said indications are that more rains are expected to hit the two southern African nations before the end of next month.
"The authority observation stations in the upper reaches of the Zambezi river are also recording higher flows than normal which are contributing significantly to higher inflows into the Lake Kariba," the statement said.
Head for the hills
Zambia's Vice President Rupiah Banda has appealed to citizens living hear the banks of the dam to begin moving upwards where the government has erected temporary shelters for them.
He said 200 tonnes of food supplies have also been dispatched to the area to feed the affected families during the relocation period.
Large parts of southern Africa have been badly affected by flooding since the start of the year, with scores either drowning or dying of water-borne diseases.
- SAPA
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