Hidroituango prepares to avoid flooding downstream due to the increase in the flow of the Cauca river due to rains

Empresas Publicas de Medellín, the organization in charge of the hydroelectric project, assured that, together with risk management agencies, they work together to avoid an emergency in the towns surrounding the dam

Foto de archivo. Trabajadores participan en la construcción de la central hidroeléctrica Hidroituango en Ituango, Colombia, 5 de abril, 2019. REUTERS/Luisa González

Following the alert in Antioquia about the increase in the flow of the Cauca river, especially in the municipalities located downstream of the Hidroituango dam, Empresas Públicas Públicas de Medellín (EPM) informed Blu Radio that the organization is working to prevent flooding downstream of the megaproject hydroelectric.

According to EPM to the Bogotá radio station, the Hidroituango Technical Monitoring Center constantly monitors the behavior of the river, both upstream and downstream of the hydroelectric plant, in order to ensure its optimal functioning and, in the event of an emergency, to be able to make decisions in advance and so on. safeguarding the communities that live in the vicinity of the dam.

In total, Empresas Públicas de Medellín assured Blu Radio that they monitor more than 3,000 variables in Hidroituango due to the increase in rainfall that Ideam expects to occur during the coming months in the country.

“April and May are very rainy in much of the Andean region. A very special recommendation is that we are making the best prevention, care and monitoring decisions around the presence of this first season, which is accompanied by the La Niña phenomenon,” said the director of the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM), Yolanda González.

EPM also told the newspaper Portafolio that, in order to ensure constant monitoring and accompaniment of the inhabitants of the area, they work hand in hand with the disaster risk management agencies of Antioquia and with the Municipal Councils.

Imagen de archivo. Fuertes lluvias en Bogotá durante la temporada invernal. Foto: Colprensa - Juan Páez

In its latest climate prediction, the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) reported that during the April, May and June quarter, in Córdoba, the center of the Andean region and in some sectors of the Meta, increases in precipitation are estimated to be between 20% and 30% above average normal.

Regarding weather forecasts for the rest of the regions during the month of April, the Institute indicated that, for the case of San Andrés and Providencia, precipitation is estimated to increase between 20% and 30% above the historical average.

“In the Caribbean region, San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, it is normal for precipitation volumes to increase compared to March, mainly south of Bolivar and Cesar, as well as over the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta,” said Ideam.

In the case of the Pacific and Amazon region, Ideam expects rainfall close to historical averages during April.

Regarding the predictions for the month of March, the Institute announced that the Pacific region and the Amazon region will be the ones with the greatest increase in rainfall: between 20% and 30%.

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