Spanish
National District. - The mayor of the National District, Carolina Mejía, led this Wednesday a wide supervision operation in the Los Ríos and Los Girasoles sectors, where she verified the mitigation work carried out by the council in the face of the possible effects of tropical storm Melissa, which keeps a large part of the national territory on alert. Mejía reported that the City Council has deployed more than 1,600 brigadistas since Tuesday, reinforcing cleaning operations, clearing of ravines and rainwater drainage in the most vulnerable points of the District.
"Since yesterday, we have been intensifying the preventive work that we carry out throughout the year. We invest six million pesos monthly in the cleaning of drains and collectors, and when there are alerts like this, we double our efforts. Thank God, so far we have not had any major incidents," said the mayor during her tour of the Las 800 sector, in Los Ríos.
The official highlighted that the Prevention, Mitigation and Response Committee for Catastrophic Situations of the National District is active and working in coordination with the institutions of the Central Government, including the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry of Environment, INTRANT, the Ministry of Public Health, the 911 System, Civil Defense and the Santo Domingo Aqueduct and Sewerage Corporation (CAASD), which has intervened in ravines and areas historically prone to flooding.
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"We are staying on the streets, visiting the most critical points of the three districts of the District. In number 1 we have worked in Los Platanitos, Manganagua and Hoyo de Batey; in number 2 we are today in Los Ríos and Los Girasoles, and in number 3 we remain attentive to La Ciénega, Los Guandules and other areas near the Ozama riverbank. Each director and coordinator of the mayor's office has been assigned a sector to directly supervise," explained Mejía.
The mayor acknowledged that water accumulated in some sections of main avenues during Tuesday afternoon, but stated that the drainage system responded effectively and that the water evacuation time was less than an hour and a half. "When the rainfall is very intense, it is normal for momentary accumulations to occur. The important thing is that it drains completely and that we have suction tankers to speed up the process," she pointed out.
He also guaranteed the continuity of the garbage collection service, informing that the schedule for the night shift was moved forward to 3:00 p.m. to avoid setbacks due to the rains. "The cleaning and collection service is maintained throughout the city with the same frequency and established routes," he affirmed.
During the tour, Mejía was accompanied by the Minister of Environment, Armando Paíno Henríquez, with whom she verified the drainage work in canals and the condition of the land adjacent to residential areas. The mayor thanked the support of community leaders and neighborhood councils, who have joined the preventive work.
"In the National District, we work together to protect people's lives. This effort is for everyone: public servants, state institutions, and citizens. Thank God, the sectors that historically suffered from flooding are stable and under control today," said Mejía.
Finally, he reiterated that the council will remain in a state of preventive alert throughout the hurricane season, and urged the population to stay informed through official channels and collaborate with municipal authorities in the responsible management of waste and the preservation of clean spaces to avoid obstructions in the drainage systems.
