Azua.– The Dominican Government successfully completed the
operational tests of the four gates of the Monte Grande Dam, with the aim of ensuring the correct functioning of the
discharge system in the event of possible emergency situations caused by atmospheric phenomena.
The tests were led by the
executive director of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI), Olmedo Caba Romano, who reported that the
response capacity of the automated gates was evaluated by simulating a power outage, verifying their efficient operation in emergency conditions.
Barahona. – Caba Romano explained that the process was carried out together with
technicians from INDRHI and the Hydroelectric Constructor Consortium, successfully concluding the
service spillway tests that integrates the dam system.
The official highlighted the
interest and commitment of President Luis Abinader in guaranteeing the
operability of the Monte Grande Dam, a project that will
benefit the provinces of Barahona, Bahoruco and Independencia, in the Enriquillo region. Likewise, he thanked the trust placed by the president in that institution.
For her part, the
civil and provincial governor of Barahona, Oneida Féliz Medina, highlighted the
social and economic impact of the dam, noting that the work will not only contribute to
agricultural development, but will also allow for
flood control, citing as an example the behavior of the system during the passage of
tropical storm Melissa through the Southern region.
Meanwhile,
geologist Osiris De León positively valued the effectiveness of the gate system, indicating that the four structures have the capacity to discharge
2,200 cubic meters of water per second each, for a total of
8,800 cubic meters per second, which guarantees the
operational safety of the communities of the Enriquillo region in the face of extreme meteorological events associated with climate change.
De León explained that communities such as
Tamayo, Uvilla, Vicente Noble, Canoa, Jaquimeyes, Bombita, Palo Alto, El Peñón, Fundación, Pescadería and La Hoya will be protected from the floods that were previously caused by the rising of the
Yaque del Sur river.