After four years of drought, the recent rains exceeded the capacity of the “Benito Juárez” dam in Jalapa del Marqués, which dawned at 104% of its capacity and for that reason began to discharge water into the Tehuantepec River.
The filling of the dam and its discharge do not represent any risk, said the director of Civil Protection of the municipality of Santo Domingo de Tehuantepec, Antonio Ríos, who added that the “Guigu Roo” (Rio Grande) channel has the capacity to resist.
Upon learning that the Jalapa dam was filled with the recent rains, the farmers and ranchers of Juchiteco, who operate five of the 12 modules that exist in the irrigation district 019, showed their satisfaction “because the risk for the Fall-Winter cycle is guaranteed.”
In the 2023-2024 season, recalled the peasant advisor, Germán Peralta, the dam only reached a capacity of 70% and was not filled and for that reason the normal risk season from November to May ended in March.
“Yes, we are happy because there will be enough water, but we must not forget that to increase food production in the Isthmus, water is not enough, its efficient use is required and for this, it is necessary to maintain the irrigation canals,” he recalled.
Currently, the producers point out, the irrigation district network consists of 75 kilometers of the main canal and 72 kilometers of roads, as well as 629 kilometers of canals, 547 of collector drains and 673 of roads, which require permanent maintenance.
As ranchers, said Jorge López Guerra, president of the Regional Livestock Union of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, “we are happy because the dam has water for irrigation during the fall-winter cycle, but for now, we are looking for support for those who have suffered damage from the rains.”
Due to the recent rains, farmers had damage to their corn, sorghum and sesame crops in the coastal area, in the northern region and in the plains of the Isthmus and we want to see how we can support them.
Source: oaxaca.eluniversal
