The Unified Command Post in the department of Casanare, remained active in the crisis room of the Government, since last January 16, where the Departmental Committee for Disaster Management and the mayors of the 19 municipalities articulated the actions in response to vegetation cover fires and water shortages in six municipalities.
Atypical rains in the month of February; The good coordination and preparation of the authorities significantly reduced the losses of animals and trees, since in other years, where the El Niño phenomenon was present, more than 25 thousand hectares were burned.
In this last session of the PMU, Captain John Jairo Manosalva, departmental delegate of Firefighters, delivered the final record of forest fires, which reached the figure of 11,091 hectares incinerated. The fires were concentrated in Orocué and Maní. With the highest figure, the municipality of Orocué is registered, where 5,254 hectares of vegetation were affected, an equivalent of 47% of the department. While Maní, with 41%, reported an impact of 4,562 hectares.
In the case of Yopal, third in this registry, it appears as the municipality where the most emergencies were attended, due to prohibited burning and fires of vegetation cover, in total 280 events, leaving a balance of 369 hectares impacted.
For his part, Guillermo Velandia, director of Risk Management in Casanare, highlighted the entire articulation of the relief agencies, military forces, health entities, Corporinoquia and mayors’ offices, because working as a system, important achievements were obtained such as:
• The distribution of 1,980,000 liters of drinking water in peasant homes in Hato Corozal, Paz de Ariporo, Nunchía, Támara, Yopal and Tauramena.
• The training and provision of two platoons of the National Army to combat forest fires.
• The national forest fire response protocol was adopted for Casanare, which will come into force from now on in each season of drought.
• Through a resolution, Corporinoquia prohibited all types of burning, open and controlled.
• With the No Fire with El Niño campaign, Casanareños were informed and made aware of the fires.
• The reward of 20 million, paid by the National Government for reporting arsonists, was promoted.
• From the USAID of the USA, the provision was articulated and delivered to eight fire brigades for the response to forest fires, estimated at 390 million pesos.
Source: Casanare Governorate