Jorge H. Quispe C. / La Paz
The Vice Minister of Civil Defense, Juan Carlos Calvimontes, reported yesterday that there are 1,677 families affected by the rains in La Paz, Cochabamba, Chuquisaca and Potosí, in addition, nine deaths were reported. In La Paz, 100 families from Zongo were cut off by landslides.
“Cochabamba is the department hardest hit with nine municipalities, in La Paz there are five municipalities, Chuquisaca three and Potosí has one,” added Calvimontes.
The report adds that there are “1,677 families affected, 87 homes destroyed and we have a report of nine people dead.” He did not elaborate.
Meanwhile, at the national level, the National Meteorology and Hydrology Service (Senamhi) declared an orange alert in seven of the nine departments due to the risk of possible overflows in seven basins: Mamoré, Beni, Madre de Dios, Tahuamanu, Parapetí, Guadalquivir and Bermejo .
The departments that are on orange alert are: Santa Cruz, where the middle basin of the Mamoré River crosses; Cochabamba, with the upper basin of the Mamoré river; Beni, with the middle basin of the Mamoré river; La Paz in the north and Yungas, with the upper basin of the Beni river; Pando; Chuquisaca, with the Parapetí river basin, and Tarija, with the Guadalquivir and Bermejo basins. Although no orange alert was declared in Potosí, the Senamhi predicted yesterday that as of this day it will snow in the southwestern region of Potosí, more specifically in the Sur Lípez province and the regions higher than 4,000 meters high.
In peace
About 100 families from 10 communities in Islano Bajo del Valle de Zongo were isolated from La Paz after a landslide on the road that connects them with the seat of Government. The risk continues in that area, because there are other landslides in Cielo Jawira and Tirma Bridge.
“The platform has been affected by the landslide and although this Monday the rehabilitation works will begin. We estimate that at most it can be fixed in 20 days, hopefully in 10 days ”, explained the authority. The slope of the road fell away downstream and there are large rocks that disabled the only way that the Zongueños have to go to La Paz and El Alto to sell their agricultural products.
“There are many people who sell the famous Creole chickens and fruits that now cannot go to the markets, so we are speeding up the steps to start work as soon as possible with the Government,” he added. Technicians from the Municipal Secretariat for Comprehensive Risk Management, the La Paz Departmental Road Service of the La Paz Government and the Bolivian Electric Power Company met in the last hours to go to the area.
“Due to the curvature of the roads, it will also be difficult to enter the upper part with machinery, but we will see how we do it,” said one of the technicians of the Mayor’s Office displaced in the affected region.
Desperate villagers
From that rural region, Fanny Salcedo, secretary of relations of the Agrarian Central, counted with regret the drama of the producers. “We have been incommunicado for two weeks and people are crying because they will not be able to get their products out for Christmas,” he said. In that area, families are dedicated to raising chickens and sold up to 200 each weekend.
Images that the deputy mayor of Zongo, Lenny Carvajal, show how the vehicles were trapped on both sides of the road split by the collapse of the platform. The Mayor’s Office of La Paz sent a backhoe. A turntable and a backhoe will be taken from the Government.
According to the first reports, about 30 kilometers of the 71 kilometers have damages in different categories.
Meanwhile, from the municipality of Mecapaca it was reported that at least 45 families were affected by the hailstorms in recent days.
The locals lost fruit crops and yesterday they asked the Government for help, which will send a person to the affected area south of the city of La Paz.
