Chapter 326 "Central Canal" Project
What Constantine said about sending the Ndebele people to the east to dig a canal was not just talk, but a huge project that had already been completed with geological surveys and was ready to start.
The East African government named this project the "Central Canal" project, which mainly aims to connect the three main rivers in the Central Province and develop their shipping value.
The three main rivers from north to south are the Wammi River, the Little Rhine (Rufu River), and the Rufiji River.
The Wami-Little Rhine River stretches from the semi-arid Dodoma region to the inland swamps of the Morogoro region, all the way to the coastal cities, and finally to the Bagamoyo region. The basin area is about 62,000 square kilometers, of which the Wami River basin area is about 43,000 square kilometers and the Little Rhine River basin area is about 18,000 square kilometers. There are about 12 lakes with an area greater than 0.1 square kilometers in the basin, and the famous Morogoro National Park and Sadani National Park in Tanzania in the past are also in this basin.
This basin was an economically developed region in Tanzania in the past. Tanzania's largest city, Dar es Salaam, and its capital, Dodoma, are both located in this basin.
Similarly, it is also the most developed region in East Africa. Its first town is Dar es Salaam, Bagamoyo, and three of the top ten cities in East Africa, as well as Dodoma, the capital of Plateau Province, so it has great potential for future development.
The Rufiji River Basin was the largest basin in Tanzania in the past, with a basin area of about 177,400 square kilometers, accounting for one-fifth of the country's total area, and the Rufiji River is also the largest river in Tanzania. The basin provides about 25% of Tanzania's renewable water resources. In addition, the basin's altitude ranges from 0 meters in the Indian Ocean to about 3,000 meters in the mountainous area of Mbeya, and the climate changes from the tropical humid east to the temperate southern highlands.
The river sections to be developed in East Africa are mainly concentrated in the middle and lower reaches of these three rivers, in areas with relatively flat terrain, namely the eastern coastal plains.
After the project is completed, it will cover an area of approximately 70,000 square kilometers in the three river basins, and the canal will be able to transport people and goods, opening up the Ren and Du meridians of transportation in the central province.
…
May 3, 1871.
The Vitus Palace.
The chief designer of the canal project, Austrian hydraulic engineer Vaskov, introduced the construction plan of the "Central Canal" project to Constantine and East African officials on the sand table.
Vaskov: "At present, our plan is to build a 47-kilometer-long canal from the upper reaches of the Little Rhine to the middle reaches of the Rufiji River, and then connect it to the Rufiji River through Lake Nazka in the east of Mpanga. In this way, the water of the Rufiji River can naturally flow into the Little Rhine River according to the terrain."
Constantine: "Mr. Vaskov, from the sand table, it seems that there are two rivers flowing into the upper reaches of Lake Nazca. The terrain here should slope from northwest to southeast. Shouldn't the water of the Little Rhine flow into the Rufiji River?"
Vaskov gestured on the sand table and said, “Your Majesty, the area through which the Rufiji River flows is generally higher than that of the Little Rhine. The terrain of the Little Rhine River basin is quite special. The northwest is an extension of the East African Plateau, and the Rufiji River basin in the south is also higher than the Little Rhine basin, so the Little Rhine River as a whole is a depression in East Africa.
However, as you said, the terrain upstream of Lake Nazca obviously slopes from northwest to southeast. After all, it is common sense that water flows to lower places. However, to the east of Lake Nazca, this terrain has reversed and encountered the lower Little Rhine basin. The area where Lake Nazca is located is like a highland and has become the watershed between the Little Rhine and the Rufiji River.
So we can solve this problem by opening a hole in the northeast of Lake Nazca and then digging a canal to divert water from this highland into the Little Rhine Plain.”
Everyone looked at the place where Vaskov pointed with his finger. The effect displayed on the sand table was a whole plain, but in fact, after Vaskov personally investigated the place, he found that although it was a plain, there was a certain difference in terrain.
Constantine: "So the terrain here does not hinder the digging of the canal?"
Vaskov: "That's right. Compared with Austria, the terrain difference here is nothing. We only need to deepen the river channel from Lake Nazca in the south to the Little Rhine Plain by one or two meters to ensure the normal operation of the canal. The distance is about three kilometers, so the workload will not increase too much."
Constantine: "Then deepen it."
Anyway, it was the natives who dug the canal, so Constantine didn't feel bad about using them.
Vaskov went on to say, "The above is the southern line of the Central Canal, which mainly connects the Rufiji River with the Little Rhine. As for the northern line, which connects the Little Rhine and the Wami River, there are currently two plans, and your Majesty needs to decide."
Constantine: "Tell me first."
Vaskov: "The first option is to build a canal along the coast at the lowest reaches of the two rivers, so that the goal of connecting the Little Rhine and the Wami can be achieved. However, this will be parallel to the shipping route, and the distance between the two is too close (refer to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal). The disadvantage is that it is easy to build."
Constantine: "What about the second option?"
Vaskov: "The second option is to dig a northwest-southeast canal inland near Morogoro, connecting the Little Rhine and the Wami River by taking advantage of the terrain difference. However, this route will be built along the plain area on the east side of the Uluguru Mountains, and its length is almost twice that of the first option. It requires a lot of engineering and higher technical requirements."
Constantine asked: "Can the technology meet the requirements?"
Vaskov was confident about this: "Your Majesty, I have extensive experience in Austria. I believe you also know the terrain of Austria. The terrain conditions there are much more complicated than the eastern coastal plains of East Africa. Building a canal in this area is not too difficult or challenging, just like building a canal in Hungary. However, considering economic benefits, I prefer option 1. After all, the east is more developed, and the canal is shorter and the construction cost is lower."
Constantine: "We can't focus on the present. Although the cities in the east are relatively mature, with the development of East Africa, the inland development speed is also very fast. As for the two plans, each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Can we build two canals at the same time?"
Vaskov: "It is theoretically feasible, but in this case, the cost of building a canal would be high and it would require a lot of manpower."
Vaskov's words translate into being prepared for a large number of people to lose their lives due to the doubling of the project.
“Hahaha!” Constantine sneered, “Don’t worry about this. I have prepared a large number of manpower for the construction of the canal. However, it will take time for them to get here. We can first complete the construction of the canal section with the lowest difficulty and the least amount of work.”
Vaskov didn't care about this. There was no shortage of slaves in East Africa. He said, "The easiest option is to connect the Wami River with the Little Rhine. The one with the smallest amount of work is the canal connecting the Little Rhine with the Rufiji River. If you consider it comprehensively, the canal from the Rufiji River to the Little Rhine River best meets your requirements."
Constantine: "Then we should build the canal from the Rufiji River to the Little Rhine first, and then consider the canal from the Wami River to the Little Rhine once we have enough manpower."
The Central Canal project is approximately 180 kilometers long and is divided into three sections, which is equivalent to the length of the Suez Canal. It connects the Little Rhine, the Wami River and the Rufiji River.
The canal from the Wami River to the lower reaches of the Little Rhine is called Canal No. 1, the canal from the Wami River to the upper reaches of the Little Rhine is called Canal No. 2, and the canal from Lake Nazca in the middle reaches of the Rufiji River to the upper reaches of the Little Rhine is called Canal No. 3.
Of the three sections of the canal, the water from the last two sections flows into the Little Rhine. After completion, in addition to improving shipping conditions, they can also provide irrigation water to the areas along the line, further enhancing the development potential of the three river basins.
(End of this chapter)
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