Destruction left by the overflow of rivers in Cotopaxi will lead to the relocation of dozens of families

La Mana, Cotopaxi

The 13 computers that a merchant from the rural parish of Pucayacu in the canton of La Maná, Cotopaxi, had in her cyber, were lost with the overflow of the Quindigua River that entered her business on Saturday night.

The sadness is enormous and is evident in each of the faces of this parish, which is the most affected in the La Maná canton, said Flavio Uribe, a resident of the town.

Although the overflow of the river did not leave deaths, neither wounded nor disappeared, but there are important material losses.

Most homes have suffered damage to their infrastructure. Streets with material and mud, product of the strong current, is what is evident in this town.

With boots, trying to rescue something from their homes, citizens walk from one place to another through the streets of Pucayacu.

Flavio Uribe, owner of one of the houses located in the center of the parish, stated that when he arrived at the site, his impact was so great when he saw appliances, products, food, items on the floor, especially because the livelihood of the people he that leased several premises to them, they were under the mud.

In Pucayacu, in La Maná, the affected areas are cleaned and the Quindigua River is dredged; other towns in Cotopaxi remain incommunicado

“Everything has been lost, I feel sorry because they are people with limited resources, they lived from their businesses and now they have been left without their livelihood, the competent authorities must help the victims as soon as possible,” said the man.

Although the machinery of the GAD of La Maná and the prefecture of Cotopaxi have begun to remove the debris and material left by the Quindigua River, some inhabitants perceive that more help is needed. Guido Calvopiña, who said that the damage is serious, hopes that this help reaches everyone.

He said that the overflow went through the main street of the parish and affected all the houses that were established on the banks of the tributary.

“Until now we haven’t received help, Pucayacu needs help, we don’t just want visits and photos, the water is already low…”, said the citizen.

There are communities that due to the overflow of the river have been left incommunicado. Soldiers, firefighters and people from the Municipality of La Maná are using tarabitas to transfer aid to isolated villages.

Effects in El Palmar

Darío Herrera, Minister of Urban Development and Housing, who toured the emergency zone on Wednesday morning to verify the damage to homes, said that files have already been collected from the families that must be relocated, and that so far they give a total of 11. However, he clarified that it is necessary to collect more records and thus deliver a consolidated report.

“Until Friday we will have a more complete list of the affected homes, working together with personnel from Risk Management, the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, Army Engineers, and the Fire Department, accompanied by the mayors of the affected localities in the collection of information and thus provide the necessary help as soon as possible to those affected, “said the official.

At the moment, according to the Miduvi report, 12 homes have been completely lost, while another eleven have serious damage. Another nine also have on the list that, despite not registering damage to their structures, they are inhabited very close to the river between 2 and 5 meters.

The preliminary information released by the housing minister is that 85 people are affected in El Palmar, of the 35 files made, so far, through inspections.

Assess damage in Cotopaxi towns: 92 houses destroyed and 360 families affected

As for the rest of the affected homes in the Sigchos, Pangua and La Maná cantons, the minister reported that the information is still being collected.

Later Herrera at a press conference said that, although the river no longer runs through the center of El Palmar, the rubble, stones and mud keep houses and streets in the low-lying areas flooded, which for the moment are impassable and its inhabitants have had to be evacuated and taken to shelters.

Humanitarian aid

From the Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion MIES, humanitarian aid has begun to arrive, as well as from the mayor of Colta, Bolívar Gualón, who donated 200 food kits that have already been delivered to those affected in the Quindigua, Pucayacu and The Palmar.

While on Wednesday afternoon, from Guayaquil GAD Risk Management, 300 food kits were delivered in the sectors: Los Laureles, San Pedro, Narcisa de Jesús and Quindigua, as reported by the mayor of La Maná, Hipólito Carrera.

This same municipal government provides medical assistance to those affected by the Marianita de Jesús and Los Laureles de Moraspungo campuses in the Pangua canton, which were affected by the Calope River.

Social and civil organizations continue to carry out donation campaigns for the victims of the cantons affected by the overflow of the Pilaló, Quindigua and San Pablo rivers. (I)