Santo Domingo.- President Luis Abinader has emphasized the severe water shortage in the dams, attributing it to an ongoing drought that is at its worst in the past four decades. The government is closely monitoring the situation to mitigate the adverse effects on the population and agriculture. President Abinader acknowledged that deforestation in the river basins contributing to the reserves has contributed to the current predicament.
Describing the gravity of the situation, he stated, “We are facing an extremely critical situation. According to reports, the dam levels are at their lowest point in the last 40 years. While the drought has played a significant role, the situation has worsened beyond the impact of the drought itself. Consequently, we are monitoring it on a daily basis, as the drought has worsened, affecting a larger population.”
President Abinader made these comments during an interview as he departed from the “Fuente de Luz Memorial Park” in Santiago, where he paid his respects to Abel Martínez, the mayor and presidential candidate of the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), on the passing of his mother, Melida Duran. Accompanied by several officials from his administration, the president arrived at the memorial park at 11:00 a.m. yesterday to pay his respects. After spending 15 minutes with the opposition leader, President Abinader expressed his willingness to set aside political differences in order to support Martínez and bid farewell to Mrs. Mélida Guzmán.
The president also addressed the issue of inflation and its detrimental impact on the nation. He revealed that the government has allocated 50 billion pesos as a fuel subsidy and has implemented measures regarding rice and energy, as these problems extend beyond the country’s borders.
During his recent visit to England, President Abinader learned from Dominicans residing there that the rates for essential services had increased by over 300 percent.
Turning to the shortage of drinking water, the deputy director of operations of the Santo Domingo Aqueduct and Sewerage Corporation (Caasd) reported that as of yesterday, water production for Greater Santo Domingo stood at 296 million gallons per day. This represents a deficit of 146 million gallons compared to January 1 of the same year when the production was 442 million gallons per day. This deficit primarily stems from a significant decrease in the flow of rivers such as Haina, Duey, Isa, Isabela, Nizao, and Ozama. Surface sources account for 143 million gallons of the deficit, while underground sources such as wells continue to function normally despite the scarcity of rainfall in the upper and middle river basins.
