1 month ago
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The politician of Colombia's superior connected Monday announced caller measures to trim h2o depletion successful nan metropolis of 8 cardinal people, wherever a drought associated pinch nan El Niño upwind shape has already prompted officials to ration h2o successful astir neighborhoods and inquire residents to alteration their showering habits.
In a connection aired by section media, Bogotá's Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán said homes that usage much than 22 cubic meters of h2o per period will person to salary further fees. He besides threatened to enforce fines of up to $300 connected group who lavation their cars connected nan streets aliases behaviour different activities that are deemed to beryllium a discarded of water.
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The politician said that metropolis buses, which are usually washed each day, will now only beryllium washed erstwhile per week. For nationalist wellness reasons, nan insides of nan buses will still request to beryllium cleaned connected a regular basis.
A position of nan exposed banks owed to debased h2o levels of nan El Penol-Guatape hydroelectric dam, successful Guatape, Colombia, Wednesday, April 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Fredy Amariles)
"We person started to trim h2o consumption, but location is still a agelong measurement to spell to scope our goals," Galán said.
Water rationing is uncommon successful Bogotá, a metropolis that is located successful a humid spot of nan bluish Andes Mountains and is surrounded by unreality forests and emerald greenish fields.
But respective months of barren weather, caused by nan El Niño upwind arena person destabilized nan city’s reservoirs and led to wood fires successful January.
Bogotá's main root of water, nan Chingaza Reservoir System, is presently 15% full, its lowest level ever. Experts person warned that if rains do not return to nan area, its reservoirs could tally retired of h2o successful 2 months.
Faced pinch this situation, officials successful Bogotá past week rolled retired a h2o rationing strategy that divides nan metropolis into 9 zones. Each area is trim disconnected from nan h2o proviso for 24 hours, connected a rotating basis.
Galán said connected Monday that since nan rationing strategy began connected Thursday nan city’s h2o depletion has dropped to 16.01 cubic meters per second, from 17.84 cubic meters per second. But nan politician said that nan city’s h2o depletion must autumn to 15 cubic meters per 2nd successful bid for reservoirs to recover.
Over nan past fewer days, metropolis officials person besides urged residents to usage little water, by limiting their showers to 5 minutes and turning disconnected their taps while they brushwood their teeth.
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The politician besides suggested that residents of nan superior should extremity showering connected a regular basis, arsenic is customary successful Colombia, particularly erstwhile they don’t person to time off their homes.
"We are not only going to trim depletion done rationing, but besides by changing our behavior," Galán said.
