Working meeting to follow up on recovery efforts after the passage of Hurricane Ian.     Photo: Estudios Revolución

Havana, October 18 (RHC)-- In order to advance in the solution of the damages that have not yet been resolved, every afternoon the President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, heads a meeting at the Palace of the Revolution to follow up on the progress of recovery activities.

This Monday's meeting also served as a scenario for new work priorities transmitted by the President of the National Defense Council to the authorities of Pinar del Río.

In addition to the points made in previous meetings, the Cuban president insisted on the need to continue working with agility in the recovery of all the damages suffered by the families affected by Ian.

To organize the recovery of the houses taking into account all the materials that can be used for this purpose, depending on the place where the buildings are located.

Reorganize the strategy for the recovery of the electric service, and continue attending to the problems of communities that were already in a situation of vulnerability before the passing of the weather phenomenon.

These work guidelines were shared by the Head of State shortly before concluding the meeting - also chaired by the member of the Political Bureau and Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz - in which the president of the Provincial Defense Council, Yamilé Ramos Cordero, updated that 55.31% of the clients already have electricity service.

On Monday afternoon, she assured that the 11 municipal capitals of the province had been connected to the National Electricity System. Mantua, with 100%, Sandino with 98% and Los Palacios, with 96% of the service recovered, are the territories where the situation is more favorable; while the most complex scenario continues in the municipalities of San Juan and Martínez, where only 20% of the service has been restored, and in San Luis, which was at 26%.

According to the explanation offered by Ramos Cordero, a new distribution of the work force that is assuming these tasks in the province will be made, taking into account the level of complexity of each place and the areas that are still to be covered in the different territories. Likewise, he pointed out, the composition of the brigades in charge of solving the breakdowns that remain in certain areas of the province will be strengthened.

Regarding the water supply, he said that out of 175 water sources in Vueltabajo, 142 are working. The situation, although it is a little better - he pointed out - still shows complexities, especially in the capital of Pinar del Río.

Additionally, he explained that in municipalities such as Consolación del Sur and Minas de Matahambre, the supply cycles are quite extended and a large number of people receive drinking water by pipe. In communities in other territories, he commented, it has not been possible to reach 100% of the population through the supply of water by pipe.

Regarding this aspect in particular, President Díaz-Canel called attention to the need to specify exactly which damages correspond to the cyclone and which were already present in some places.

When updating the housing situation, the President of the Provincial Defense Council informed that 104,958 damages have been reported, 13,174 of which correspond to total collapses. Ramos Cordero assured that progress continues to be made in the visit of the processing offices to the houses, with the purpose of certifying as soon as possible the totality of these affectations.

We have construction materials in all the municipalities of the province, said Ramos Cordero, who also detailed that 1,896 houses had been recovered by Monday afternoon. Likewise, he pointed out that 62,050 forms have already been prepared in the province and 3,694 families are ready to purchase the assigned materials.

Regarding the progress of these actions, the Minister of Finance and Prices, Meisi Bolaños Weiss, called attention to the low number of lists that are ready -approximately 36%- taking into account the high number of affected families in Pinar del Río.

As regards communications, the President of the Provincial Defense Council said that mobile telephony has been restored to 99.2% and that, although 88% recovery had been reported the previous week, after a review in places in the municipality of Pinar del Río where customers had not reported damages and where they do exist, the damage figures were increased and therefore the recovery is now at 78%. These are interruptions, he reiterated, which are now incorporated to the work.