A total of four thousand and 46 people who live on the banks of the Kwanza River, in the commune of Massangano, municipality of Cambambe, province of Cuanza-Norte, began to abandon their homes to avoid the risk of flooding that might result from discharges from dam reservoirs. from Laúca and Cambambe.
These are the localities of Carinda, Ngolo, Cambondo, Cassequel, Kixingango, Lola, Maculumbi, Mulende and Cariapuco Museum.
The information was provided, this Friday, in Dondo, by the municipal administrator of Cambambe and coordinator of the local civil protection commission, Adão António Malungo.
According to the person responsible, the administration lacks the means to help the population, who were anxiously awaiting the opening of the gates of the Laúca and Cambambe dams.
In total, 674 residences and an equal number of families in these locations might be affected by the floods.
Due to the lack of reception facilities in the area, many people are abandoning their homes on their own and are being temporarily housed in relatives’ or rented houses in Dondo, the seat of the municipality.
Until now, the number of people who have already left areas at risk of flooding is unknown.
The opening of the gates of the two dams was scheduled for Thursday before being rescheduled for Friday.
These discharges take place every year, between October and April, with a view to regulating the volume of water in the dams, maintaining sufficient quantity for their normal functioning.
In 2023, more than eight thousand people saw their homes and farm fields flooded, due to the floods of the Kwanza River, caused by discharges from the reservoirs of the aforementioned dams.