Rains in Medellin: 9 points in risk areas are attended - Medellin - Colombia

The urban and uncontrolled growth in Medellín caused many neighborhoods to become high mountain areas and risk of flooding or mass movements.

Thus, when there are heavy rains, there are certain sectors that suffer more than others and where evacuations and attention to critical points are recurrent.

The Medellin mayor’s office identified nine places which he described as “critical points” in which it carries out risk mitigation works.

“These are sectors that suffered damage to the public space as a result of the heavy rains and for which the declaration of manifest urgency was necessary, thus guaranteeing the resources for attention,” reported Natalia Urrego, Secretary of Infrastructure.

These areas are: Manrique La Honda, La Cuchilla village, El Llano village, La Asomadera, Santo Domingo Savio (Popular), Buenos Aires, El Pingüino (Santa Elena), Monteverde (Altavista), El Vergel village (San Antonio de Prado) .

(You may be interested: This is the peak and environmental plate that governs Medellín)

Mitigation actions were also carried out in the corregimiento of San Cristóbal

Photo:

Medellin’s town hall

The investment for these works exceeds $35,700 million and, of the nine points identified, the works have already been completed in the first three and have already been delivered to the community.

Among the actions are: the reconstruction of roads and platforms, the construction of bridges, retaining walls and drainage systems for the management of rainwater.

“In the case of the corregimientos, specifically in San Cristóbal, we are also generating competitiveness and opening new opportunities for farmers to offer their products,” added Urrego.

In this corregimiento, in the village of La Cuchilla, a bridge was built to reduce the risk of landslides in the area, 480 meters of road were improved and retaining walls were built.

Also in San Cristóbal, El Llano village, an area of ​​5,120 square meters was renovated, 828 meters of track were recovered, a geological fault in the ground was corrected and retaining walls were built to prevent future emergencies.

(We recommend you read: The Silleteros Parade 2022 in Medellín will return to the streets)

In Manrique La Honda, where the manifest urgency had been decreed after the winter caused damage to the road, platforms and some homes, the official explained that pipes were installed there and activities were carried out to channel water; Piles and retaining walls were built to stabilize the land and platforms and tracks were recovered.

“We have been waiting for these jobs for a long time. For us it was very important to channel this stream because the water entered our house. The improvement of the road also helps us a lot, especially for me who has a sister with a disability and now we can move better”, said Orlando Santa María, a resident of the neighborhood.

The mayor’s office indicated that the remaining work fronts already exceed 60% of execution.

MEDELLIN

In Pereira, 50,000 homes must be relocated in high-risk areas - Other Cities - Colombia

In the same sector where the landslide that destroyed five houses and ended the lives of 16 people there are 2,000 homes that must be relocated. This is how the director of the Risaralda Regional Autonomous Corporation (Carder), Julio César Gómez, considers it.

These 2,000 homes are located in neighborhoods built on the banks of the Otún River, in the jurisdiction of the municipalities of Pereira and Dosquebradas.

(You can read: Dozens of pets affected by the Pereira tragedy seek a new home)

The director of the Cárder pointed out that in addition to this sector, in others in the capital of Risaralda people live in high-risk areas. “50,000 homes we have at risk. In the Consota (river), Otún river, Mina Rica creek, San Jorge creek and the Cauca river,” Gómez said.

The official recalled that in 1979, 2,500 houses built on the slopes of the Otún River were relocated.

“Unfortunately, the migration diaspora that we have had in the Coffee Region has made people invade those lands again and that today they have very consolidated homeswith very nice facades, but at very high risk,” said Gómez.

Álvaro Alzate and Jesús Restrepo are two affected by the tragedy of last Tuesday. Each one has a different drama and they remain in the emergency zone.

(We suggest: The voices that warned of the Pereira tragedy and were not heard)

Alzate returned 24 hours later to the place where the avalanche caused the death of his father and brother. Looking at the place where he lived since he was a child, Alzate remembered the time when his brother warned him of the collapse and thanks to this he was able to save himself. He cries as he remembers that his brother turned to get his father out and the two were left under the rubble. Their bodies were found hours later.

“They told us there was no money to relocate people,” Alzate said.

Jesús Restrepo’s house is one of the 15 that were evicted. He asks the authorities to let him pass check that the house has not been looted, but they explain to him that it is impossible because at any moment another part of the mountain could come off.

(We recommend: ‘Run and save yourselves!’, Pereira’s dramatic survivor warning)

Angely Granada, who is one of the people who had to evict the houses for prevention, asks that the aid reach the families who must remain 24 hours a day in front of their houses to monitor them and prevent them from being looted.

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Antioquia: Increased foot of force in areas with the highest incidence of crime - Medellín - Colombia

The Ministry of Defense announced this Tuesday that there will be an increase in force in areas of Antioquia with the highest incidence of crime, to attack crime and reduce homicide rates in the department.

During a meeting in Bogotá with the governor of Antioquia, Aníbal Gaviria Correa, the president put on the table the issues of concern regarding security in the department and the actions that must be implemented to attack crime. Among them, it was agreed to strengthen capabilities in technology and mobility for the public force and a greater presence in the territory.

(You may be interested: Miners and peasants from Buriticá (Antioquia) went out to protest)

“Support was defined with an increase in foot force focused on regions of the department that are having a higher incidence of the presence of criminal groups,” said the governor.

For his part, Diego Molano, Minister of Defense, announced that “we have agreed to concentrate the efforts that Antioquia has in this plan with our Army and Police in the Northeast area.”

Molano indicated that the construction of the Pedro Justo Berrío battalion, in western Antioquia, is already in the budget of his portfolio and construction will begin during the first half of the year.

(Also read: Video: Family in Medellín had to leave their house escorted by the Police)

“The commitment of the national government and the Ministry of Defense to invest in the Pedro Justo Berrío battalion, in western Antioquia, was confirmed. A strategically located battalion and of which we hope to start works this first semester”, said, for his part, the governor.

On February 18, both the governor and the minister will be in the Southwest of the department to consolidate the “Safer Farm” strategy, which began in this area of ​​the department, but would become a model.

MEDELLIN

Beijing Seals Off More Residential Areas, Reports 12 Cases

TAIBEI, TAIWAN — 

Beijing officials said Sunday they sealed off several residential communities in the city’s northern district after two cases of COVID-19 were found.

Residents in the Anzhenli neighborhood in Chaoyang district were sealed off on Saturday, and will not be allowed to leave their compound.

Beijing is on high alert as it prepares to host the Olympic Games opening on Friday.

While the cases are low compared to other countries in the region, China has double down on its “zero-tolerance” policy, which includes breaking the chain of transmission as soon as it is found.

The city is also setting up 19 points in the area to test residents every day until Friday, officials said at a briefing on the pandemic, according to state-backed Beijing News.

The Chinese capital reported a total of 12 cases of COVID-19 between 4 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday, said Pang Xinghuo, the vice head of the Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control. All those cases came from people who were already under some kind of pandemic control measures.

The city conducted multiple rounds of testing for millions of residents this past week in Fengtai district, where some residential compounds were locked down.