Instead of paralyzing construction works of the canal to divert waters of a river that is born in the Dominican Republic and flows for 2 km into Haiti before returning to its course in the Dominican Republic, Haitian builders have increased the size of the canal. The increase will now enable the canal to divert even more water.
Listin Diario reports that after the protest of the Dominican authorities, the Haitian builders have secured donations of money and construction materials to expand the canal so it can extract more water from the tributary.
Listin Diario reports that the Haitians have built two gabion walls to lead the Massacre River to the dam that, in turn, will feed the canal to irrigate crops in several locations in Haiti.
At the site of the construction, dozens of Haitians are working on the dam with a hydraulic excavator, a tandem compactor roller and dump trucks, while another group of Haitians is working on expanding the gabion walls.
Dominican government authorities have demanded a stop to the construction because heavy rainfall could cause flooding that would affect both Dominican and Haitian farmers. Those against the diverting of the waters say the canal could also affect the Codevi manufacturing center, which employs 20,000 Haitian workers.
Listin Diario says that in response to the construction, the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (Indrhi) has installed three pumps with a capacity for 15,500 gallons per minute at the La Vigia canal in the Dominican Republic to bring water to farmers in Dajabon as a short-term solution.
The Dominican authorities say more than 300 agricultural producers, otherwise to be affected by the Canal under construction by the Haitians in Ouanaminthe, will benefit from the rehabilitation of the La Vigia Canal.
The La Vigía Canal is above where the Haitians are building their canal.
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Listin Diario
20 December 2023