Meeting to check recovery efforts

Havana, October 13 (RHC)-- At the meeting headed by President of the Republic Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez to follow up on the work in the territories that are still in the recovery phase, special emphasis was placed on electricity, water supply and housing recovery in Pinar del Río, where the most complex situation was found after the passage of Hurricane Ian.

Among these work priorities, Díaz-Canel, who is also President of the National Defense Council, insisted on the need to evaluate the strategy to supply electricity to water supply sources as soon as possible, which will allow for greater stability of that service. Along with these actions, he emphasized, the work for the recovery of electric power lines in the different municipalities cannot be neglected.

On this particular issue, the president of the Provincial Defense Council, Yamilé Ramos Cordero, updated that in Pinar del Río, electricity service has been restored to 43.49% of the clients. All the municipal capitals, she ratified, have electricity assured by one or another means of supply.

However, he detailed that the particular situation in the territories has very different complexities: while in Mantua and Sandino the recovery is already at 99% and 82%, respectively, in San Juan y Martínez and San Luis the figures do not exceed 19% of the clients.

Regarding water supply in particular, he added that some water lines have presented problems in their operation due to the instability in the operation of the generators, which has made the situation more complex throughout the province, including the municipal capitals.  This implies, he commented, that the supply of water in pipes continues in many places, where actions are being taken to ensure that the distribution is more efficient.

Regarding the housing damages, which already amount to 99,158 in Pinar del Río, Ramos Cordero updated that 11,524 of them correspond to total collapses and 49,091 to partial roofs. As of Wednesday, 1,599 had been solved, based on the use of the resources sold in the territories and other alternatives sought by the families.

According to the Minister, 10 392 forms are ready for the population to go to the points of sale of materials, although only 1 938 people have been able to do so, since several of the resources that are demanded are not in the province, especially those associated with the roofs, which is where the main affectations are. In this regard, the Minister of Construction, René Mesa Villafaña, informed about several materials that will be arriving in the next hours to the province, which will allow to advance in the recovery of the damages in the houses.

On the other hand, he informed that 6 151 people remain in 19 evacuation centers; 546 hectares of various crops have been planted, mainly vegetables and grains; as well as 96% of mobile telephony and 89% of fixed telephony have been recovered.

From Artemisa, the other territory that remains in the recovery phase, the president of the Provincial Defense Council, Gladys Martínez Verdecia, updated that 97% of the electric energy has been restored, being the municipality of Bahía Honda, with only 80% restored, the one with the most complex situation.

As a strategy in the province, he explained that this Thursday transformers will be placed in services that are vital, such as water supply sources; local production of materials; the sawmill; the rice dryer; a small school in Alquízar, and other important services that urgently need to be activated.

After 15 days of Hurricane Ian's passage through western Cuba, much work has been done in the country to reestablish the services most demanded by the population and much still needs to be done. At the end of Wednesday's meeting, President Díaz-Canel emphasized the need, together with the recovery actions, to keep the people informed on a daily basis and to continue improving the mechanisms for this purpose, especially in places where the situation is more complex so that the people understand everything that is being done.