Flood waters from the Yaque del Norte River are impeding traffic over the Montecristi-Dajabón road. The Medina government announced what it called a solution to the flooding after a meeting with Ministry of Public Works and National Water Resources Institute (Indrhi) officers at the Presidential Palace.
The government announced dikes would be built in Palo Verde, Castañuela and Guayubín. Bridges would be rebuilt in those locations. The area is flooded by the waters of the Yaque del Norte and Guayubin rivers. The situation was worsened by the opening of the floodgates of Tavera Dam in Santiago.
President Danilo Medina himself was able to see the situation personally when over the weekend he toured the area to see damages caused by winds and rain bands brought by Hurricane Maria.
Participating in the meeting was Defense Minister Lieutenant General Rubén Paulino Sem, Administrative Minister of the Presidency José Ramón Peralta, Public Works Minister Gonzalo Castillo, and the director of the Water Resources Institute (Indrhi) Olgo Fernández. Also present at the meeting was the director of Border Development (Desarrollo Fronterizo), Miguel Alejandro (Tito) Bejarán; Montecristi senator Heinz Vieluf Cabrera; Montecristi governor Marcelo Cordero; the manager of the Agriculture Bank (Banco Agrícola) Carlos Segura Foster; Agriculture Minister Ángel Estévez; the National Budget director Luis Reyes and the National Treasurer Angel Perdomo.
The Civil Defense and Ministry of Public Works suspended on Monday, 25 September 2017, vehicle traffic on Carretera Manolo Tavárez Justo from Montecristi to Dajabón due to the flooding of the Yaque del Norte River. The waters were lapping the stretch from Las 70 to Palo Verde.
Rafael Sosa of the Association of Banana Producers, nevertheless, says that the announcement by the government of the construction of dikes in the area is but an aspirin for the disease. He said the definite solution to the flooding caused by the Yaque del Norte River is the construction of two dams. “We need a dam on Amina River and another on Guayubín River,” he said.
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El Caribe
26 September 2017
