The Michoacán government resumed conservation work on Lake Pátzcuaro due to the emergency that intensified last year due to the decline in its levels caused by drought and water theft.
This was announced by Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla (Morena) upon installing the Interinstitutional Committee for the Defense of Lake Pátzcuaro.
He said that with the rescue, the Temporary Employment Program was resumed, benefiting 1,000 residents of the communities surrounding the lake to perform manual maintenance and rescue of canals and springs.
He also reported that new specialized machinery was purchased to clean the lake and keep navigation channels open; and he again requested support from the Ministry of the Navy (Semar) to ensure compliance with its sanitation.
He also announced that a security operation against water theft by state security forces will begin in the coming days.
Ramírez Bedolla considered that, with the onset of the dry season, it is natural for water levels to decrease, which is an opportunity to begin maintenance and conservation work involving state agencies; the municipalities of Pátzcuaro, Quiroga, Tzintzuntzan, and Erongarícuaro; as well as communities and self-governing bodies.
And of the 67 springs located in the lake basin, 48 received maintenance last year; of these, 15 are located on Urandén Island and have now opened to the public, offering guided tours in traditional canoes led by residents of the community itself.
He also specified that there are springs yet to be rehabilitated, such as Chapultepec, in the municipality of Pátzcuaro, a project for which he is currently seeking funding from the Federal Government to access 350 million pesos.
The Michoacán state governor mentioned that other priority actions to be carried out include the construction of the lake’s protective perimeter, reforestation and soil retention, implementation of biological corridors, ensuring safe navigation, restocking the lake’s wildlife, and the treatment and management of drinking and wastewater.
He noted that last year’s lake rescue efforts included the planting of 1.5 million trees in the basin and the stocking of 85,000 fish, including 50,000 whitefish, an endemic species that is in danger of extinction.
Source: informador
