The city of Piura in the very north of Peru could run out of drinking water in less than a month, Evelin Meza Capcha reports for the platform Infobae. The region is facing a severe drought that has drastically reduced its water reserves, putting the supply of water for human consumption at risk and leaving four provinces just days away from a possible emergency.
According to Canal N, the Poechos dam, the region’s main source of water, has only 14 million cubic metres (about 14.5 billion litres), a meagre two per cent of its total capacity. The director of EPS Grau S.A., Marco Vargas Trelles, warned that this amount of water would only supply the provinces of Piura, Sullana, Talara and Paita for one month if used exclusively for domestic purposes. Vargas told the media: “We are practically in a red alert.”
The current crisis has been described as the worst in Piura’s history due to an unprecedented drought. The lack of rainfall in the Catamayo-Chira basin, coupled with poor management of water resources, has exacerbated the situation. The Peruvian news service RPP reports that if the drought continues, there will not even be enough water for human consumption by the end of November. Rainfall in the highlands is minimal, so there is no possibility of the reservoir recovering,’ Vargas warned.
More than a million people are at risk of being left without an adequate water supply. This situation is already causing concern not only for human consumption, but also for agriculture. RPP points out that more than 80,000 hectares of crops in the region are at risk due to water shortages. According to Vargas, ‘to address this situation’, the company will request a state of emergency from the Ministry of Housing, which would allow it to implement measures such as accelerating the drilling and rehabilitation of wells and the acquisition of more cisterns.
Local authorities have been criticised for failing to take timely preventative action in the face of an expected problem. Some farmers told RPP that ‘the lack of rain is not the only culprit’, but also the poor water management that has characterised the region’s administration. They also underline the seriousness of the situation, pointing out that the shortage has created a climate of anxiety among the people of Piura, who are urgently waiting for effective solutions to be implemented.
Former Fuerza Popular congresswoman Karla Schaefer warned that Piura faces an imminent water crisis that could leave more than a million people in four provinces without water. In an interview with Canal N , Schaefer said that the Poechos dam, the main source of water in the region, has lost 60% of its capacity due to silting problems. “There is only enough water left to supply the provinces of Piura, Paita, Talara and Sullana for about 20 days,” warned the former congresswoman.
In addition to the impact on human consumption, Schaefer warned that the crisis also affects agriculture. According to her, 21,000 hectares were planted in a campaign that, despite warnings, was approved due to economic pressures. As a result, up to 80% of the crops have already been lost, with a risk that another 2,000 hectares will suffer the same fate in the coming weeks.
Video: Former congresswoman Karla Schaffer calls for a water emergency to be declared in Piura. (Canal N, Spanish):
