Water Reservoirs in Eastern Cuba at Lowest Level in Ten Years

Despite recent rain, the dams in eastern Cuba register a record low water level in ten years, according to sources of the National Water Resources Institute (IRH).

After two years of scant rain, the province of Guantanamo stores only 119 million cubic meters of water, or 34.5 percent of its capacity, while in the rainy season the reservoirs reached only 70 percent of their average level, which affects the water supply sources.

Juan Carlos Gonzalez Dalmau, from the IRH, described the current situation as worse than last year's.

The largest dam in the territory, La Yaya, is in a critical situation with only 34 million cubic meters of 160 possible; but the most worrying is Pozo Azul, a dam that supplies water to Valle del Caujeri agricultural area, now with only 14,8 percent of its capacity, he said.

Only the Faustino Perez dam has a favorable situation with 19 million cubic meters, of 26 million cubic meters, results that have been possible after implementing an adequate water saving policy and investments to reduce losses.

Nearly 121,000 people are suffering the consequences of the drought in seven municipalities of the province, but the people usually don't have the real perception of the situation because measures have been taken to mitigate its impact, he said.

Gonzalez said that water-saving and restrictive measures are being implemented, including cutting supply to agriculture, which demands over 20 percent of the water consumed in the province.