The rains that have occurred since April in the east of the country, and especially in Santiago de Cuba, have filled the population with hope and approval, which sees in the recent rainfall a solution to the drought that has affected this region of Cuba.
In the sectors of food production - industry and agriculture - the spring showers are exploited, and the local peasantry foresees an increase in the yields of the plantations, while collecting water in small tanks. Likewise, the agricultural entities benefit because they feed the cattle with green vegetable mass and ensures a greater harvest in the various crops.
The wisdom of the people in rural areas means that not a few predict good results for the field, because judging by the behavior of precipitation, the soil will be saturated in a short time, and will be the most propitious moment for planting, recycling Biomass and reduced tillage to reduce soil erosion.
In the city of Santiago, on the other hand, the rains have made it possible to reduce the number of cycles of water delivery to the population, and although this is the greatest benefit, we also thank the afternoons for less heat and clean environment. After a bad break.
Recently, ACN published a report in which it is explained that in this southeastern province has been raining persistently and the volume of the reservoirs increases; The water table begins to saturate after more than four years of intense drought, hence the benefits are greater. According to Leonel Carrión, technician in water management, measures are adopted so that, if precipitation continues, there will be no damages.
According to specialists, it can happen in eastern Cuba, and in Santiago de Cuba. Authorities at the National Institute of Water Resources (INRH) said in Havana that recent rains have not been enough to reverse the prolonged drought.
The Cubasí portal cited Grechel Sánchez, a specialist in the development and management of water resources, of INRH, who acknowledged that "April rainfall benefited Mayabeque, Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo."
The Hero City has shown favorable accumulations since the beginning of the wet period in Cuba that begins with the month of May and extends until October. Good news is that this year the rainy season is expected to be higher than in previous years.
According to the specialist, the Santiago reservoirs Carlos Manuel de Céspedes and Gilbert accumulate together with the rest of the province some 30 million cubic meters of water. However, in this territory there are some 53 sources of affected supply, what makes Santiago in the zone of greater difficulty in this sense.
According to Sánchez, in the country the reservoirs are at 37% capacity, which means a retention of at least 3,412 million cubic meters of water. There is still a deficit of 1 368 million cubic meters in correspondence with the historical average.
Despite the hopeful situation that this southeast province has today, it is still far from what is needed to reverse the damage caused by three years of intense drought. Although it is not possible to assure that the rainfall behavior in the rainy season of 2017 will solve the problems with the supply of the precious liquid in Santiago, there is something that the inhabitants of this land can do: to continue using this vital resource rationally and to encourage each The culture of saving.
In addition, the local entities attached to INRH have to optimize their management in order to apply alternatives such as water reuse, treatment of liquid waste, traditional methods of collection and the installation and operation of a desalination plant, along with A rigorous program eliminating leaks.