The bottom dischargers of the Massingir dam, in Mozambique’s Gaza province, will rely on a dual steel structure and an iron and concrete shielding in order to avoid possible disruptions as occurred in May 2008, said a project official.

On 22 May, 2008 there was a fault that caused a water leak of over 1,000 cubic meters per second which damaged the reinforced concrete structure of the bottom dischargers and caused erosion in the surrounding landfills.

Louis Mandlate, director of the recovery project of that dam, also told Mozambican newspaper Notícias, the work includes the replacement of hydromechanical elements, as well as the introduction of a 6.4-metre diameter pipe within an existing one, which is 8 metres, to increase the safety of the dam.

The works, with a duration of two years and an estimated cost of US$60 million, are conducted by a consortium led by CMC Africa Austral, Lda, a subsidiary of Italian company CMC.

This work aims essentially to ensure full operation of the dam and create conditions for the viability of the Massingir Agro-Industrial project, for the irrigation of an area of 37,000 hectares and production of sugarcane in the district.

The Massingir dam, built in the early 1970s, was designed to irrigate an area of about 90,000 hectares throughout the Limpopo valley.

Source: Macauhub