The construction of the second station of the Cable car of Santo Domingo Oeste, located in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Herrerahas generated concern among parents of school students God’s Hour and residents of the sector, due to the noise, dust and dangers posed by the holes and exposed rods around the educational facility.
Parents of students reported that several children have become ill from the dust generated by the excavations, and that to enter and leave the educational center they must expose themselves to metal structures and deep holes filled with water in the immediate surroundings of the educational center.
The station is built in the area occupied by the school run by the religious order Concepción Misionera de la Enseñanza, where the nuns’ house and a seminary also operate. Right at one of the entrances to the campus and in the middle San Martin street Porres excavations are carried out for the placement of columns and other structures of the work.
According to the parentsthe noise of cranes, drills and heavy machinery They prevent students from concentrating, while the constant dust has caused respiratory problems in some of them.
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“The dust enters them directly because the center has to keep the windows open; it does not have air conditioning. The windows must be open for ventilation, but what enters now is the dust from the construction site, and the noise of the machinery affects them,” said one of the parents, who asked to keep his name withheld. He added that initially the station would not be built in that place, but that at the last minute “the worst location” was chosen.
The works are in charge of the Trust for the Development of the Mass Transportation System (Fitram).
Given the situation, a group of parents sent letters to the President of the Republic, Luis Abinader; to the first lady, Raquel Arbaje; to the Ministry of Education and to other institutions, without receiving responses. He warned that the dangerous conditions around the school threaten learning and put the physical integrity and health of his children at risk, due to the sonic and environmental pollution.
From the school it was reported that primary students, located in the most affected areas, will be temporarily transferred to a school that is less than 100 meters from the area where the station is built.
Neighbors also protest
Residents of the sector expressed rejection of the way work is carried outclaiming that they must remain enclosed due to the large amount of dust.
Candido Gerardo pointed out that the San Martin street de Porres will be converted into a pedestrian because the piles are rising in the middle of the road. “We are not opposed to progress, but these people have never spoken to the community, to those of us who live here,” he said.
Nemencia Salasan elderly woman who lives a few meters from the work, said that the noise is constant, although she recognizes that the cable car will bring benefits to the sector. “And what can one do? They started their work without asking us. Besides, who can with the Government?” she expressed resignedly. A similar opinion was expressed by Valentín Manzueta, another resident of the area.
Fitram response
The institution denied that the work was carried out without the participation of the community. He assured that the project has been discussed with leaders of the sector and that he maintains a close relationship with the management of the God’s Hour School. He maintained that they have even collaborated in solving internal problems on the campus, such as stairs and other improvements.
Regarding the impact of the student body, Fitram indicated that it was proposed to temporarily relocate the older students to the Father Suarez Foundationlocated near the school, and occupy that space with the youngest children, who would be further away from the construction. However, the entity stated that the proposal has not been finalized because some parents They did not agree.
The institution added that, at the request of the families, it had personnel to prevent the circulation of heavy machinery during the entry and exit of the children.
