The San Cristóbal volcano registered a strong explosion and expulsion of ashes and gases on Wednesday afternoon. The ash column reached several kilometers in height and was observed from various parts of the department of Chinandega, mainly affecting regions in the northeast of the city, such as La Grecia and Ranchería, located between Chinandega and Somotillo.
The inhabitants of the affected regions express concern about the effects of ash on crops. In the La Esperanza sector, of the La Grecia 1 community, residents say that little ash fell, but in La Grecia No. 3, which includes the Mocorón and El Chonco regions, they are already reporting losses.
«It affects because several crops are flourishing and the ash throws away the flowers. When the fruits are tender, they are also thrown away, these are products that are taken to the Chinandega markets and there are losses»reported a small producer in the area.
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The expulsion of ashes coincided with the afternoon rain, and according to residents this aggravated the situation «The worst thing is that yesterday the ash came and then the rain and that is heavier and more damaging material»indicated the same source.
fear of sequelae
In La Grecia No. 3 there are families planting avocado, nancite, little beans and other vegetables such as pipián and squash. The damage would be visible from next week.
Modesto Estrada, from the Mocorón region, highlighted that the current planting of vegetables was achieved with the seed saved from the previous harvest. «The problem here is that the damaged sowing leaves you without a harvest, without a harvest there is no seed, and not even who lends you seed, because here we go “to the boat and to the piss” (sowing and harvesting to eat), we are all the same»Estrada commented.
In the cultivation of beans, lying on the slopes of Cerro Chonco, the losses could be total. El Chonco is the neighboring hill to San Cristóbal and receives up to 80 percent of the materials expelled from the Volcano.
José Luis Sánchez grew two and a half apples of corn and one apple of beans on the slopes of El Chonco hill, it is a crop for self-consumption. He also works on properties where they grow cassava.
«There in Chonco I have not gone up to check, but they already told me that the corn stalk is muddy and the beans are white and all that is already a loss. So precious were the corn and beans!»José Luis lamented.
The small producer calculates that he lost about a quintal of corn and another of beans and assured that his neighbors’ crops are the same.
other damage
The San Cristóbal Volcano ejected ashes from 4:00 in the afternoon until dusk this Wednesday. All the material fell on the crops of dozens of families who sow for their own consumption. The volcanic event threatens food security in the area and leaves substantial economic losses that have not yet been reported by the local government.
«I hope they come to this area and support us with seed, it would be good, to replace the crop. I think there would be time because winter is good, we have felt it supported»commented an evangelical pastor from an affected town.
Inhabitants of La Grecia No. 1, get their water supply through a Drinking Water Committee (Caps), whose tank is without a lid because it was lost last year. «Hopefully ashes will not continue to fall because we have the tank uncovered. An alternative must be found and soon, because that is the water we drink»said a user from that region.
By: United Voices.
