Spanish
Santiago.- The mayor of the municipality of Santiago de los Caballeros, Ulises Rodríguez, admitted this Monday that the recent rains have highlighted the limitations of the city's stormwater and sanitation system, although he affirmed that the council maintains constant actions to reduce the impacts.
Rodríguez explained that the main problem is that the drainage system is obsolete and does not correspond to the urban growth that Santiago has had in recent years, which causes accumulation and greater force of the water during episodes of heavy rains.
The mayor pointed out that, despite these conditions, there have been no widespread catastrophic situations as in the past, due to the preventive cleaning work of ravines, drains and drainage systems that the mayor's office permanently carries out.
He also indicated that structural solutions are being developed at critical points, such as the Villa María sector, where the start of works with contractors has already been announced to definitively solve the drainage problem.
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He also highlighted interventions in areas such as the Gurabo ravine and 10th street, where, according to him, the cleaning has allowed the water to flow more normally, reducing overflows that were previously frequent. Rodríguez insisted that the current rains affect a large part of the country, but assured that the municipal authorities continue to work in a coordinated manner to minimize the effects on the population.
