A report in El Dia today, Friday 8 March, is critical of the shortsightedness of the Haitian authorities in allowing the extraction of materials from the Masacre River, causing major damage to water levels. Farmers on the Dominican side say that water for irrigation from the river is dwindling to below usable levels and they fear that the river is experiencing a slow demise.
Aggregate extraction has increased with the building boom in Haiti.
El Dia reports that a bridge on the road to Haiti could collapse as a result of the major land erosion in the area.
Environmentalist Domingo Contreras warns that the worst effect is the channels that are being produced, which will overflow when there is heavy rainfall, causing major damage on land. “If this situation continues, at any time Dajabon and nearby communities, including Haitian towns will be affected by major floods when the Masacre River overflows,” he warned.
The solution requires the intervention of the authorities in both countries. Minister of Environment Bautista Rojas Gomez said that he needed to meet with his counterpart in Haiti to discuss the problem.
http://eldia.com.do/nacionales/2013/3/7/108931/Extraccion-de-agregados-en-el-Masacre-amenaza-vidas-y-bienes