The contract for repair and completion of the Corumana dam in the Mozambican province of Maputo, is expected to be awarded in November, funded by the World Bank and work to begin two months later, said the Director-General of the Águas do Sul Regional Administration.

Construction of the Corumana dam, located in the Moamba district, 100 kilometres from the city of Maputo, began in 1983, but was not completed because of the civil war, and stopped working at the end of 2015 due to the drought affecting the south and its inability to retain water.

Helio Banze told Mozambican daily newspaper Notícias, that with the increase in population in the region covered by the dam, the government had decided it should be concluded and requested funding to the World Bank, and is now examining the proposals.

Officials from the pre-selected companies recently went to the site, and their proposals for the construction of the six locks missing from the dam, essential equipment for the operation of the facility, should be delivered by November.

Banze said that the main aim of this work is to increase the water storage capacity of from 880 million to 1.38 billion cubic metres, which will increase the availability of drinking water in the cities of Maputo and Matola, as well as in the Marracuene district from 70% to 90%. (macauhub)