Irma affected almost a thousand houses; 28 aqueducts still out
Diana Rodríguez | September 12, 2017
The Emergency Operations Center (COE) reduced to one province the level of alert in those towns most affected by the effects of Hurricane Irma, while Inapa reported that more than 400 thousand people remain without drinking water.
Montecristi is the only province that is kept on green alert. The civil protection agency discontinued the alert for San Cristóbal, Peravia, San José de Ocoa and Azua.
Also for the fragile, small and medium boats on the Atlantic Coast from Manzanillo in Montecristi to Cabo Engaño La Altagracia, due to winds and abnormal waves caused by Hurricane Jose.
According to the COE's report, 993 homes remain, 1,474 displaced to family homes, 98 in shelters, and almost 1 million people without drinking water.
Systems out of service
While the National Institute of Drinking Water and Sewerage (Inapa) reported that 28 aqueducts remain out of service and that the institution began repair work.
Through a press release, the head of the entity, Horacio Mazara, explained that of a population of one million 492 thousand 424 inhabitants affected by the exit of these systems, it remains to restore the service to about 463 thousand 179 users.
He said that the direction of operations works hard to supply the liquid to the citizens and offered a guarantee of the potability of the water served through the systems that the institution operates.
"Since the announcement of the passage of Hurricane Irma by our territory, we were summoned by President Danilo Medina, who declared the Government in a permanent session and directed us to take the necessary actions so that the population does not suffer from shortages of drinking water" , said the engineer.
Mazara also stressed that the Inapa activated the emergency committee in order to comply with all protocols of procedures established to respond immediately to eventualities that could arise.
Among the out-of-service aqueducts they quoted Multiple Hato del Yaque, in Santiago; La Peña Pontón (Obras de Toma), in Duarte; Arroyo Blanco-El Guanal, in Santiago Rodríguez and Jicomé, in Valverde. Also affected were the aqueducts of Azua and Baní (extension La Gina in Peravia, La Descubierta, Bartolomé, Guayabal in Independencia, and Villa Jaragua in Bahoruco.
Communities aware of river floods
The COE recommends following the guidelines of civil protection agencies as well as maintaining contact with the Civil Defense, Armed Forces, Red Cross, National Police, Fire Departments. He urged residents in high-risk areas near rivers, streams and canyons to watch out and take precautionary measures for possible floods and flash floods in the event of downpours.
http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2017/09/12/irma-afecto-casi-mil-viviendas-siguen-fuera-28-acueductos/