2005News

Government to the rescue

President Leonel Fernandez has visited the town of Sanchez in the northeastern corner of the Dominican Republic, after repeated newspaper articles reported how part of the town was sliding away. The President’s first statement, after looking over the scene, was that “this is not a general phenomenon, and the town is not going to sink away.” The chief executive told reporters from Hoy that he had received five reports from different government institutions as well as the Dominican Academy of Science, and they explained why the subsidence was occurring and how best to deal with the problem. Among the first steps taken by the President was the removal and relocation of about 100 families living in the danger zone. The Ministry of Public Works is to carry out this task. The President traveled to Sanchez in the presidential helicopter, accompanied by some of his advisors and a geologist from the Academy of Science. The President was emphatic as he underlined the reports by the geologists that stated that the land movement was focused in the area around Independence Avenue and the sectors of La Navaja, La Torre, Altamira and Los Johnson. All five reports came to the same conclusions that pointed out that the very high rainfall combined with the lack of proper drainage in the area were the cause of the subsidence. Other reports indicate that the housing was built on inappropriate ground, with some housing going up on top of a former gully.