SANTO DOMINGO.- While Tropical Storm Melissa maintains an erratic behavior that has the authorities in suspense, the Government is monitoring all the country’s dams, especially those of Monción and Sabaneta, which present the greatest risk: one has already exceeded its capacity and the other is close to reaching its maximum level.
According to the report given yesterday by the executive director of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI), Olmedo Caba Romano, and the administrator of the Dominican Hydroelectric Generation Company (EGEHID), Rafael Salazar, in their meeting of the Dam and Reservoir Operation Committee (COPRE), the dams remain with an accumulated volume of approximately 80% of their total capacity, so they are in a position to regulate the predicted rainfall.
Critical dams
According to the volume and levels of the main dams as of yesterday, the Monción dam has a volume of 321.21 million cubic meters (MMC), which represents 97.3% of its volume.
maximum. Its level until yesterday was 279.13 meters above sea level, its maximum level being 330.13 meters above sea level.
While the Sabaneta dam has a volume of 56.63 MMC, which represents 101.0% of
its maximum volume, so it remains in a controlled discharge. Its level today is 644.20
masl, exceeding its maximum level of 644.00 masl.
The head of the INDRHI indicated that in the inflow flows there has been a slight decrease with
relation to yesterday, including the Sabaneta dam, which is pouring in a controlled manner into the bed of the San Juan River.
“The Sabaneta dam is producing a discharge that is normal when rain occurs in this cyclonic season. We are talking about 12 to 13 cubic meters of water, which is handled perfectly in the river bed,” said Caba Romano.
Meanwhile, the EGEHID administrator indicated that the Valdesia dam is being operated under the established protocol for its proper management. He specified that the measures taken at the COPRE meeting, which is in permanent session due to the passage of Storm Melissa, will be reviewed periodically and in a timely manner to ensure that water is stored in the dams, mitigating da
downstream.
Presidential priority
In the afternoon, President Luis Abinader referred to the issue of dams and reported that the dam
de Sabaneta is under special monitoring, although he assured that it is controlled.
“Only the situation in Sabaneta is being warned, where local precautions are being taken. The rest of the system is stable, but we remain under permanent surveillance,” said the head of state.
“Our priority is to save lives and property.
That’s why we continue with the same measures. Melissa is a very erratic storm, with a speed of
movement of just 4 kilometers per hour, almost stationary, and that requires maintaining caution,” said Abinader.
Slow movement The director of the COE, Juan Manuel Méndez, explained that commercial activities were allowed until one in the afternoon on Tuesday, and that essential establishments, such as pharmacies, fuel stations and perishable food outlets, will be able to operate until
midnight.
The director of Indomet, Gloria Ceballos, warned that the slow movement of Melissa increases the risk of accumulated rain.
Alert
25 Provinces.
They remain under alert, of which nine are in red, 13 in yellow and 3 in green.
Forecasts
Climate
According to Indomet, today the sky is expected to continue cloudy with strong to torrential downpours, thunderstorms and gusts of wind, which can be intense and frequent.
