The Minister of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, Ángel Manero Campos, said that after the declaration of emergency for the provinces of Islay (Arequipa) and Sánchez Cerro (Moquegua) due to imminent danger of contamination of the waters of the Tambo River basin, up to six ministries will carry out remediation actions.
The emergency for 60 days It was approved during the last session of the Council of Ministers and was published on August 1 through Supreme Decree 077-2024-PCM and covers the districts of Islay, Mejia, Mollendo, Dean Valdivia, Cocachacra and Punta de Bombon, in the province of Islay.
LOOK: Tambo River: Action plan to counteract pollution detailed
Manero Campos He indicated that the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (Midagri) has a budget of 40 million soles for irrigation projects. “We are going to set up an Agroideas office, that is, as an agriculture, in addition to the progress already made in the technical file of (the Yanapuquio dam)“, he said.
Besides of MIDAGRI, iThey will intervene in the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Energy and Mines, Ministry of Housing and Ministry of Production.
It should be noted that on the eve, the Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzen, announced the declaration of emergency, announcing various studies to be carried out, such as the origin of the contamination of the waters of the Tambo River.
LOOK: Arequipa: No response to stop the damage in the Tambo river basin due to pollution
“Evaluations and studies are already being carried out to determine whether or not the request for definitive closure of the mine where this contamination is presumed to come from is feasible,” Adrianzen referred to the first provisions that were given by the national Executive.
Specifically, regarding the issue of environmental remediation in the face of this contamination generated by mining activity in the impact zone, Manero indicated that the Ministry of Energy and Mines will be the entity that must provide the details on the total closure of the Tucari mining unit, of the Aruntani company, which would be the main source of contamination in the basin.
He Ministry of Housing will be in charge of providing treatment plants for the 24 Sanitation Service Administrative Boards (JASS), in coordination with the Regional Government of Arequipa, as announced during the visit to the Tambo Valley on July 21.
He Ministry of Health will be responsible for carrying out analyses on the population, not ruling out the possibility of a health emergency being declared. “The emergency is already here for us and it is up to each sector to do its job,” he said.
As for the Ministry of Productionthe actions will be aimed at the conservation of the hydrobiological resource of shrimp, which will consist of reactivating the production of the Shrimp in the Tambo River Basinrecalling that producers expressed concern about the low population of the resource.
Finally, Angel Manero He pointed out that this process is not only about environmental remediation, but involves more actions. “We must reactivate agricultural and shrimp production, as well as the definitive solution to water treatment”he pointed out.
