Drought In The Northern
Zone To Get Worse
The Ministerio de Salud
and the Ministerio de
Agricultura y Ganadería
officials expressed
concern that the drought
affecting the northern
zone may get worse in
the next two weeks.
Authorities say that the
situation is getting
worse each day,
evidenced by a group of
professionals made up of
veterinarians and
technical staff of both
ministries that visited
the area over the
weekend and found 257
dead animals.
The dead animals
included cows, calves,
bulls and horses.
The area most affected
by the drought is Los
Chiles and as well as
some areas of Upala,
Guatuso and San Carlos.
In some areas residents
are in urgent need of
water not only for human
consumption but for
livestock, who are
getting week and
becoming sick.
Eliuth Herrera, of the
Servicio Nacional de
Salud Animal (National
Animal Health Service)
said that the drough
took the area residents
and crop producers by
surprise and are not
adequately prepared.
Authorities fear that
the worst is yet to
come, as more animals
continue to die and are
asking resident to call
health authorities and
bury their dead animals
to avoid the spread of
disease.
Fernando Vargas, of the
Cámara Ganaderos de San
Carlos (San Carlos
ranchers association),
said that the lack of
water is not only
affecting the livestock
but will also affect
many families, as the
drought may bring
collateral effects like
low production of sugar
and oranges that is
common in the area, as
well as rice planting
and the loss of pasture.
Today, the Comisión
Nacional de Emergencias
(CNE)- national
emergency commission -
will in Los Chiles,
along with officials of
the Ministerio de
Agricultura y Ganadería
(MAG) and four local
mayors to assess the
situation and is
expected to call declare
the area a national
emergency.
The MAG minister, Carlos
Villalobos, called the
situation "worrisome"
during his visit of the
area on the weekend and
that the meeting today
is to take action.
"Once it begins to rain,
we will be left without
pasture and the problem
will continue for 30
days", said Villalobos,
who is expecting the
Poder Ejecutivo
(government
administration) to
declare an emergency for
the area. |
