According to the director of the National Institute of Hydrological Resources (Indrhi) Olgo Fernandez, only the Sabaneta dam in San Juan de la Maguana has enough water to guarantee irrigation for the next bean planting in November. A region-wide drought has severely reduced water in other dams and reservoirs.
Of the 32 large dams, only Sabaneta has a high volume of water, and the other dams such as Tavera, Monción, Rincón, Tavera, Hatillo, Bao, Sabana Yegua, Lope Angostura and Sabana Yegua, among others are below the minimum levels required.
Fernández said that due to these low water levels in key dams, INDRHI officials have met with the 32 irrigation boards and the 8 agrarian reform boards to determine which irrigation zones can be planted and which not while hoping for rain this month, October and November.
He said there had not been rain in the main river sources but they were trying to continue to provide water to the population and for agriculture and that the next challenge was to prepare for rice planning in December as well as for bean and tomatoes which all were obligatory but which needed a lot of water.
The president of the Dominican Association of Landowners and Agriculture (ADHA) Julio de Beras said that the east, south and northwest had been affected by a severe drought that had already caused severe damage to the production of meat and milk.
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Hoy
5 September 2018
