When there are disaster situations such as those that are affecting the population due to Cyclone Yaku, the Peruvian government does not respond immediately as it does in cases of social protests, questioned, on La Mula TV, Luis Enrique Lozada, director of Radio cultivate.
In the ‘Al Filo’ program, the journalist recalled that we have Law 29664, which creates the National Disaster Risk Management System (Sinagerd). In Subchapter 2, Article 17 of this law, the participation of the Armed Forces and the National Police of Peru is considered.
“The Armed Forces and the National Police of Peru participate in Disaster Risk Management, in relation to the preparation and response to disaster situations, in accordance with their powers and in coordination and support to the competent authorities, in accordance with Sinagerd regulations” , reads the law promulgated in 2011.
Lozada specified that the forces of order can participate ex officio in the attention of emergency situations that require immediate response actions, carrying out the tasks that are their responsibility even when a state of emergency has not been declared.
“You don’t need an emergency to be declared in the region. The Armed Forces and police ex officio act, which has not happened. The thought I had is why, when there are demonstrations, the response is immediate, to gas, to shoot? In this case, there was no immediate first response. This should be a tangible government response,” he said.
In the Piura region, Lozada said, there is a “disarticulation to the highest degree“.
“It turns out that you observe works of the central government, but through the Authority for Reconstruction with Changes. But then the State responds to you through the national sub-governments, through the provincial and district municipalities. So, Do you think there is a link between those works? In addition, in some cases very questionable works are made,” he said.
For example, Lozada mentioned, the Regional Government of Piura has made asphalt, but with materials that currently no longer exist due to the rains.
“The water took millions of dollars of money and here in the center of the capital city of Piura, from October to December of last year, 7 million soles were spent to put asphalt on the streets of downtown Piura. These rains have peeled them off like a cookie. In many places you no longer have a clue. (…) So, we are talking about two problems: disarticulation and corruption“, said.
In addition, Lozada reported that in December 2022, the Comprehensive Plan for the Piura River Basin was presented. This plan consists of reforesting the part of the mountains in upper Piura, building mini-reservoirs and for the cities to have river drainage systems.
“The plan is already here, after many years the plan has been achieved, it was delivered in December of last year. Just to make a drainage system in Piura, it will take approximately 15 years According to the current officials, if they are done and if the works are done well. In order to carry out the integral plan of the basin, I will surely no longer be here on this earth. It is probable that in 30-35 years it can be said that this comprehensive plan for the Piura river basin was fulfilled, which I doubt,” the journalist said.
In an interview with Javier Torres, Lozada reported that the Sierra de Piura is greatly affected, since there are collapsed houses, roadblocks, crops lost due to river overflows, highways destroyed, impassable trails, and some recently built highways are destroyed. He pointed out that there seedlings lost as 1,000 acres of organic slushwhose loss is irreparable, since the cost of each hectare is 30,000 soles.
He specified that the flow of the Piura River as it passes through the city has reached 1,567 cubic meters per second and that the alert is activated when it reaches 1,900.
“There was panic and psychosis in the city because it is very likely that the sedimentation of the channel is seriously present. With that of having 1,567 cubic meters per second passing through the city, at this moment many people are doing work so that sandbags can be placed and prevent the river from overflowing. That is a latent concern right now. That could happen in 4 hours because that is how long it takes from here to that area for the river to discharge. The Piura river does not have such a free mouth to the sea, the river is a little below the sea, it collides and returns to the river; So this is a very serious issue. And to that we must add the rise in prices of some foods,” he said.
In this edition of ‘Al Filo’, Javier Torres interviewed Luis Lozada (Piura) and Augusto Rubio (Áncash) to talk about the environmental emergency due to the rains in the context of Cyclone Yaku. Watch the full interview on La Mula TV:
[Foto de portada: Andina]
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