Managers offered to attend the sector this and next year; the Council knew a report of the current state
This Tuesday, January 4, 2022 the Quito Metropolitan Council learned about the current state of the Caupicho stream and the river Machángara. Landslides and damming of the riverbed have been registered in this sector, as in other streams, and it was declared in emergency on January 28, 2020.
Almost two years later, a report from the Secretary of Security concludes that the COVID-19 pandemic, the constant change of municipal authorities (due to the struggle for the Mayor’s Office that triggered the removal of Mayor Jorge Yunda) and lack of budget earmarked for this emergency plan have slowed down the actions for the remediation of critical points in this sector.
The Secretary of Security, Daniela Valarezo, informed the Metropolitan Council that since the beginning of the work tables, some palliative actions. However, he stated that between the months of October 2020 and February 2021 there were no working meetings or interventions operational.
In February of the previous year they resumed palliative actions, but since that date until June they did not carry out work tables or attention to said area declared in emergency. In June they attended to some emergencies and finally, in December they returned to maintain the technical work tables.
According to this report, in the longitudinal extent of 10.5 kilometers that includes the Caupicho stream (from the Guamaní sector to the Paraíso and La Internacional neighborhoods) presents fifteen problem areas with different characteristics:
| Zone | description of the problem |
|---|---|
| 1. Collector Pedro Vicente Maldonado | The accumulation of solid waste at the entrance of the collector generates a damming of the water, causing the saturation of the slopes in the ravine and processes of instability affecting homes in the sector. The presence of properties and roads without protection measures (enclosures) allows the disposal of solid waste directly to the creek. Additionally, there are several discharges of sanitary water into the channel. |
| 2. Open section of the Caupicho stream | Throughout the section, solid waste deposited in the riverbed is observed, the lack of physical barriers, containers and citizen culture makes this sector become a dump, generating accumulation of debris at the entrance of the collector belonging to the Epmaps located waters down in the Caupicho neighborhood. |
| 3. Parque Caupicho bridge Venceremos | Along the right bank of the river, unstable terrain is observed, represented by mass movements caused by the poor quality of the subsoil (fillings, old landslides). Irregular human settlements are observed on both margins and in the process of regularization within the river’s protection strip (Venceremos, San Blas, Santa Isabel, Achomeg). Additionally, the implemented structures need to be monitored to show possible effects due to the undermining of the river. |
| 4. The Count I | Throughout the section, unstable terrain is observed, represented by mass movements caused by the action and undermining of the river. Settlements are observed within the protection strip of the river (Nueva Loja). Additionally, there are trees creating risky conditions for homes. There is loss of land in private properties and in public space (roads). |
| 5. La Cocha Bridge | Throughout the section, a river overflows due to the strangulation of the channel and the little section that the water has to cross through that sector during rainy periods. On the way there is the bridge on La Cocha street, which is seen to be exceeded in its level. |
| 6. Southern clovers | Throughout the section there are trees that create risky conditions for homes in the sector. Landslides and occupation of public space on the Epmaps collector. |
| 7. Southern valleys | In the section there are evidence of instability processes on both banks of the river due to water erosion processes affecting both public and private infrastructure. Collector collapses, loss of road tables and houses on the edge of the slopes are noted. |
| 8. Social Assistance – Poliducto | In the section there are evidence of instability processes on both banks of the river due to processes of water erosion and anthropic intervention that has modified the natural course of the river. There are direct discharges to the slopes generating saturation of the land. There are houses on the edge of the slopes. |
| 9. San Pedro de Guajaló | In the section there are evidence of instability processes, presence of trees that generate risk conditions. Homes settled informally on the banks of the river in buffer strips. Due to the clogging of the collector inlet, damming and flooding of the sector occurs, additionally there may be a violent discharge of the dammed waters. |
| 10. El Paraíso neighborhood | It corresponds to the area between av. Gonzalo Pérez Bustamante and the El Paraíso neighborhood, the problem lies in the malfunction of the collector under the neighborhood, which in extraordinary rainy seasons does not supply the flow, generating a flood zone that affects the homes in the sector. |
| 11. Entrance to the Struggle of the Poor | It corresponds to the area of influence of the collector under Calle 21 de Agosto, on the site there are constant blockages of the entrance of the collector and the consequent flooding of neighboring homes, in addition to the water action of the river there are homes exposed to phenomena of mass removal. |
| 12. Taura Bridge Eplicachima substation | It corresponds to the area between the Taura avenue bridge and the Eplicachima electrical substation, in the sector there are processes of water erosion that produce mass movements, these gravitational processes have generated the instability of the bases of the bridge, as well as of the slopes of private and public infrastructures such as the Eplicachima electrical substation and Pedro Vicente Maldonado avenue. |
| 13. Railway Line | In the area, the problem derived from the plugging of the entrance of the collector under Línea Férrea street is replicated, generating dams and weakening the slopes of the ravine, this process puts the existing houses on the edge of the slope at risk. |
| 14. Wholesale Market | The area corresponds to the northern boundary of the Quito Wholesale market, because it is located between the exit of the collector under the Railroad Line and the entrance of the collector under Tnte avenue. Hugo Ortiz, this area presents a great instability in the slopes that make up the ravine and a high risk for the commercial premises of the strip adjacent to the Machángara river. |
| 15. The International | The problem in this section of the Machángara River is similar to the previous section, it is located between the exit of the road collector on Avenida Tnte. Hugo Ortiz (Wholesale market sector) and the entrance of the road collector of the same route downstream, the instability of the slopes generates a risk of collapse to the houses adjacent to the river, among which is the green area of the José Peralta complex. |
| Sources: General Secretariat for Security and Governance. Metropolitan Risk Management Directorate. |
The solutions foresee works of different companies and municipal secretariats such as Mobility and Public Works (Epmmop) and Drinking Water and Sanitation (Epmaps). This stream belongs to two regional administrations, Quitumbe and Eloy Alfaro.
For the councilor Fernando Morales (Concertación), municipal officials have to socialize with greater sincerity the problem for the inhabitants of these sectors.
“This is important so that they can have absolute clarity and plan if they have to retire, if that is going to be expropriated or have a relocation, if there is going to be an intervention, and if that intervention is going to be really complete “, he added.
The manager of the Epmaps, Othón Zevallos, He pointed out that this problem is similar to that of the Monjas riverbed. For him, there are several aspects involved, such as the waterproofing of the soil, lack of capacity of the channels, erodibility of organic materials, poor quality soils, old swamps or lagoons that existed in the south of the city and interventions without due studies.
In 2022 they will begin the construction of protection works with an amount of $ 250,000, they also have studios for $ 64,100 and foresee the planning of larger works for the years 2023 and 2024. However, this would be in the next administration.
The manager of the Epmmop, Jorge Merlo, He also said that at the moment they are in studies to carry out work in the different affected sectors. However, he anticipated that they will prune or remove trees in certain places that require it immediately. In addition, they will carry out cleaning tasks in income and maintenance in adjoining streets.
The councilor Paulina Izurieta (ID-VIVE) asked if the long-term plans are within the annual river plan.
Given this, the two managers replied that are in studies, which would be included in the budget for 2023, in the current year they are not foreseen. But the mitigation and rapid attention actions are contemplated in this year. (I)
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