Havana, November 9, 2024 - The greatest complexities of the recovery actions in the provinces affected by Hurricane Rafael are the restitution of electric power and water supply. This was acknowledged early Saturday morning by the President of the National Defense Council, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, as he headed a new meeting of that higher State body.
Although he insisted that the work priorities must be directed at the moment to solve these two issues, vital other problems cannot be left aside, such as the sanitation of the territories; the preparation of the conditions for the restart of the school year; the distribution of the basic food basket, as well as progress in the recovery of the affected houses with the resources that are already in the different territories.
In agriculture, he said, no time can be lost in harvesting the affected products to save as much as possible.
When updating on the actions being carried out in Artemisa, the province most affected by the ravages of Rafael, the president of the Provincial Defense Council, Gladys Martínez Verdecia, said that 332 people remain evacuated in five municipalities, most of them in the territories of Alquízar and Güira de Melena.
On Friday, he assured, progress was made in the lattice of the power lines and seven transmission circuits were affected. Some 18 brigades of linemen should be incorporated this Saturday into the work in the province to continue recovering the damages.
Regarding the water supply, he explained that during the day seven generators should be brought in, as well as other smaller ones to pump water to buildings. Most of the municipalities have no water service at this time, which has only been able to reach about 76,000 inhabitants. As a function of the water supply, 76 water pipes have been provided by the economy and another 19 by aqueducts that have been arriving from other territories.
In the case of Public Health, he specified that this Friday they worked on the survey and list of materials of the hospitals, and already today some of these resources are beginning to arrive to work with brigades that are properly organized and thus advance in the recovery of the hospital network to a greater extent.
Regarding the 205 schools affected, he said that they have been looking for alternatives to restart the school year so that classes are not lost. Gradually it will be defined in which places the conditions will allow to accommodate students and educators.
From Mayabeque, the president of its Provincial Defense Council, Yuniaky Crespo Baquero, assured that the re-establishment of the electric service is the most complex thing to be solved in the territory.
Out of 73 circuits in the province, 29 already have service. The municipalities of Batabanó, Melena del Sur, and Nueva Paz do not have service at this moment in any circuit. This situation also greatly affects the water supply, including the municipality of Quivicán.
Regarding the effects on agriculture, he detailed that 2,518 hectares are not recoverable, however, work is being accelerated on those that can be saved for harvesting.
Regarding the re-establishment of the electric service in this province, which is also essential for the supply of water to the capital of the country due to the sources of supply located there, the Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, explained that the 110 kV line to Gabriel has already been heated and, the 33 kV line has been completed, which allowed the first five wells of Cuenca Sur to have service. Today ten more wells are being finished and on Monday the 25 wells should be ready, he said.
The pumping of the El Gato aqueduct, for which it was necessary to heat several points of the transmission lines, was done and is complete, he added. These actions benefited the municipality of San José de las Lajas, which today has 60% of its customers with service.
In general, in the province, he said, out of 149,000 customers, 76,000 already have service, or 49%.
In the particular case of Havana, the president of the Provincial Defense Council, Liván Izquierdo Alonso, specified that only 20% of the population in the capital has water service, the most affected municipalities those of La Lisa, San Miguel del Padrón and Arroyo Naranjo although, in all of them, there are difficulties.
As for the electricity service, he updated that out of the 337 circuits, 164 are already operating, which has benefited 48% of the clients. There are still 92 poles on the ground and their restitution depends on being able to continue closing circuits, he informed.
The next few hours will be decisive to make progress in the recovery of the damages, and for this the effort of everyone is essential.