The Ombudsman’s Office warned about the serious risk of environmental contamination generated by the prolonged use of the temporary solid waste cells located in the Santa Rosa de Shapajilla sector, in the province of Leoncio Prado, Huánuco region. In these spaces they deposit waste from the city of Tingo María and four other districts in the jurisdiction.
These cells were implemented as an exceptional and temporary measure, with an estimated useful life of three years, a period in which the construction and commissioning of a provincial landfill had to be completed. However, this period has been exceeded by more than a year, which has caused the collapse of its capacity and has increased the risk of impact on the environment and the health of the local population.
The coordinator of the Office of the Ombudsman in Tingo María, Jorge Mendoza, pointed out that the prolongation of the use of these infrastructures constitutes a serious threat to the constitutional right of people to enjoy a balanced and adequate environment for the development of their life and health. Likewise, he warned that this situation has motivated the reactivation of protest measures by the residents of the affected sector.
Mendoza reported that the landfill project, called “Improvement and expansion of the public cleaning service in the city of Tingo María and final disposal of solid waste in the five districts of the province of Leoncio Prado – department of Huánuco”, would be 100% executed. In this context, he indicated that during a recent meeting with representatives of the Ministry of the Environment (Minam) they urged compliance with the urgent delivery of this infrastructure, no later than January 16.
Likewise, they requested to order the definitive closure of the temporary cells, in order to avoid the generation of new environmental liabilities in the area.
Finally, the Ombudsman’s Office recalled that in 2018 it intervened in the face of the serious contamination of the Huallaga River caused by the La Muyuna dump, a situation that led the Ministry of the Environment to declare solid waste management in the Rupa Rupa district an emergency. As part of the measures adopted then, a temporary cell was established as a provisional solution, while the definitive infrastructure was finalized, which to date has not been put into operation.
