Ancuya, the town that could disappear: the municipality of Nariño has been affected by winter

The winter wave in the country continues to affect different regions, which is why the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD) has issued various alerts that seek to raise public awareness of the risks they may pose in the face of any emergency situation. One of the situations that most worries the authorities is the present situation in the municipality of Ancuya, Nariño, since the constant landslides put it at imminent risk of disappearing.

So far, the rains have left nearly 300 people displaced and at least three people dead. The Government of Nariño indicated that, more than 100 families have been evacuated to different parts of the municipality. In addition, UNGRD has sent a number of humanitarian aid to address the emergency. What happened ignites the alarms because rainfall continues to weaken the terrain, a situation that causes mass removal in the mountain and gradually undermines the interior of the town.

W Radio was able to establish contact with members of the community of this municipality, who stated that people who are being relocated are being taken to the center of the municipality, however, to this day the space is increasingly reduced due to the number of people being transferred. They also warn that it is not only the hillsides that are in danger, since it is the entire municipality that is located on the edge of the precipice.

The view presented by the Government of Nariño worries, because we can see an immense abyss in the back of the municipality, and the constant loss of land that slowly crumbles in the face of the uncertainty of the population is notorious. Hundreds of people are housed in temporary shelters, awaiting institutional decisions that will allow them to obtain guarantees of life in the midst of this dire situation.

It is important to keep in mind that the drinking water service has been limited, which is why the National Army has arrived at the municipal seat with a tank car, to supply the vital liquid to the inhabitants. About 8,500 liters of water were provided to the community that held long lines to be able to supply themselves. Prior to this, some citizens pointed out that the quality of the water they were getting from their aqueduct was precarious, as rains also affected the sewage system, which collapsed in recent days.

In the same way, both geological faults and the loss of banking, incommunicado the municipality both with the capital of the department and other jurisdictions. The four arteries that provide inflow and outflow from Ancuya were affected by landslides and precisely the roads that connect with Guaitarilla and Sandona, are the ones that have been most affected.

Taking into account this panorama of road infrastructure, the Government of Nariño and the Engineering Battalion of the National Army mobilized to the area to remove the detached mass and carry out restructuring works through some bridges and the road opening with heavy machinery, on a road that connects with Sandona and Guaitarilla, this will allow the transport of food and the mobilization of the community gradually. It should be noted that even medical missions and students have been harmed, since they have not been able to access the municipal seat.

The Unified Command Post will continue to assess with engineers and geologists the conditions of the land, this in order to determine whether a total relocation of the municipality is necessary and how its inhabitants will be moved, since today, everything depends on the weather conditions and the development of the 'Phenomenon of Girl' in the region.

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