Batoka Dam won't affect Victoria Falls

ZAMBEZI River Authority says the Batoka Dam height will be limited not to affect the Victoria Falls owing to Kariba North Bank and Victoria Falls power stations' existence.
And Zambezi River Authority chief executive officer Munyaradzi Munodawafa says the Batoka Gorge Dam will create employment for about 3,000 to 5,000 Zambians and Zimbabweans, and would require four million cubic meters of concrete, compared to the Kariba Dam which consumed one million cubic meters.
Speaking when Zimbabwe's energy and power development minister Dzikamai Mavhaire, Attorney General Johannes Tomanda and energy permanent secretary Patson Mbiriri toured the Batoka Gorge Dam site on the Zimbabwean side of the Zambezi River, Zambezi River Authority senior manager for projects and dam safety Sithembikosi Mhlanga said the dam's water throw-back would not get to the Victoria Falls.
"The Batoka Dam height will be limited with the existence of the Kariba North Bank Power Station and the Vic Falls Power Station so as not to drown the Victoria Falls," said Mhlanga.
And Munodawafa added that if the dam was going to be built at the height over 220 meters, the throw-back would go beyond the Victoria Falls.
"The throw-back will just get a few kilometres from where we have the Victoria Falls Hotel. So, this is going to be a very technical issue which our designers will have to ensure that we don't mess with," Munodawafa said.
He said a ground-breaking ceremony by the two heads of states would possibly be set for August next year. "The Batoka Gorge Dam will employ more than 300 general workers and semi-skilled people to be employed in Zimbabwe and Zambia. But we are looking at all the ash at Wange Collieries, all that ash ...will be needed as aggregate for the concrete as well as cement, that means both Zambia and Zimbabwe will have to work overdrive. Four million cubic metres of concrete compared to Kariba which consumed 1 million cubic will be needed," he said.
And project manager, Ezekiel Kasaro, said the project would generate a lot of development in the two areas. He said by impounding the valley, the dam would generate another source of extra fish to be bread in the lake. "So, we need the two governments to support this development... and as targeted, we hope by 2018 and 2020 we have the first machines running," said Kasaro.
Source: Batoka Dam won't affect Victoria Falls - The Post, Zambia (28-02-14)