Environmental and climate authorities in Bogotá confirmed that since mid-March, the central region of the country that includes the capital entered the first rainy season that could be extended, according to forecasts, until next June.
To prepare, the District Secretariat of Rural Development and Environment, the District Institute for Risk Management and Climate Change IDIGER, the Special Administrative Unit of Public Services UAESP, together with the Botanical Garden, established recommendations to avoid emergencies and reduce the possibility of damage over the next few months.
According to IDEAM, the first season of the La Niña phenomenon will have higher rainfall in March and April when rainfall is expected to be above average in the Andean region; although by May levels are expected to be lower for the center and east of that region.
The rains have already caused emergencies in Bogotá. According to the director general of IDIGER, Guillermo Escobar, 395 events associated with rainfall have been presented so far this month: 2 mass movements, 252 in respect of trees, 39 cases of flooding and waterlogging, 78 damage to sewers and public services.
These events have occurred in the affected localities Usaquén (115), Suba (57), Engativa (32), Chapinero, Kennedy, Rafael Uribe and Ciudad Bolivar (18), Bosa y Barrios Unidos (16), San Cristobal (13), Puente Aranda 9, Tunjuelito (4), and Martyrs and Antonio Nariño (2).” Events that have been promptly attended by district entities.
In this regard, the Climate Authorities of the District drew the attention of citizens to take preventive actions. The Secretary of Environment, Carolina Urrutia said that the trees should be watched to avoid emergencies. “In recent weeks there have been some emergencies due to overturned trees, winds and rains can cause trees to fall and this situation could pose a risk to citizens!” , he argued.
For that reason, they invited individuals who may be in danger to be identified so that they report to the authorities and care to be carried out. It is essential to monitor those with a high degree of inclination, dry branches, waterlogging at the base or rodents, symptoms that can warn the poor condition of the plants and their possible fall.
“According to the guidelines of the District Secretariat for the Environment, it is important to reiterate to citizens that through line 123 they can report on any situation of trees in poor condition, with obvious loss of verticality or deterioration of their structure, so that entities can take the appropriate measures for their safety” , explained the director of the Botanical Garden, Martha Liliana Perdomo.
From the Bogotá Fire Department, director Diego Moreno said, 518 incidents related to rains have been dealt with. As a matter of care, they have more than 600 men available in 17 stations to attend to all emergencies.
Likewise, the care plan includes the UAESP, which assured that every month the toilet workers travel enough kilometers to go from Bogotá to Barranquilla and return sweeping the streets. So Luz Amanda Camacho, director of the unit, asked to use the public toilet furniture correctly.
Use the cans “to throw that piece of paper, that bottle, what we are carrying while we walk around the city to prevent small plastic or paper waste from clogging the sewers, which causes greater damage in rainy seasons,” he said.
This is because the amounts of garbage that reach sewage sewers are impressive and can cause emergencies, floods and damage. According to the Aqueduct and Sewerage Company, pipeline cleaning routines have been carried out to prepare the city's drains, but in the last year alone ibmore than 107,000 tons of garbage and waste were removed, which cost the city 26,262 million pesos.
In this regard, the authorities recommend checking the water collection gutters in the houses, uncovering the pipes and reinforcing the roofs in order to prevent emergencies during the rainy season that are expected to be heavy for at least one more month.
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