Leonardo Ortiz Porras is 78 years old and lives at an altitude of 4,200 meters above sea level. In a straight line and seven kilometers from your home, you have your imposing neighbor: Nevado del Ruiz volcano, which threatened to erupt again 18 days ago.
“I see the situation as sensitive because it is unknown what might happen. 37 years ago when the Armero disaster happened we didn’t know it was a volcano. Now with the current situation I sometimes detect a lot of ash. During a visit to the Los Nevados National Nature Park in the Manizales (Caldas) city area, Ortiz, EL “Smooth movements and sounds like a car is running,” he told TIEMPO.
Ortiz is the guardian of Cerro El Recreo, a base that has guarded public television antennas for 35 years. local and national channels and part of the state’s strategic communications. “We should take shelter in a bunker here in case of a breakout,” the man says as he offers the freshly brewed hot coffee.
To ensure communication with residents of communities at risk, a portable station was set up on the hill to relay information on reports from the Colombian Geological Service, the National Disaster Risk Management and the National Parks Unit, among other organisations.
The station was built on a truck, Equipped with table and microphone. It was adapted by the National Army with the soldiers of the 8th Engineering Brigade. Disaster Care and Prevention, under 90.7 FM frequency. It now reaches homes in Aranzazu, Chinchiná, Filadelfia, Laguna and Villamaría (Caldas), reaching a radius of 40 kilometers.
“We deployed a transmitter system of the National Army’s radio station Colombia Estero so that they have adequate coverage in high-risk municipalities. In total, three stations were installed: one was already fixed in Tolemaida, Colonel Álvaro Iván Santana, commander of the Integral Action, said, “However, this is Tolima increases the power center in ; another moved to Lebanon, and finally, we developed a mobile vehicle capable of covering all areas around Nevado del Ruiz,” said Brigade and Army Development.
one of the municipalities The most vulnerable Caldas in the event of an eruption is Villamaria, especially with the highest population., precisely because of its proximity to the volcano. To get there, you have to cross a narrow road bordering a mountain. Already evacuated houses and schools can be seen during the trip; however, not as much as the authorities would like.
Consuelo Patiño, a resident of the village of Papayal in Villamaria, explains why she doesn’t leave her house: “My husband and I are very calm. We didn’t feel any shaking but sometimes we hear something roaring. But it is not known whether it is an animal, soil or the volcano itself. In the end, if anything happens, we’ll go up the mountain,” explains Patiño.
She is an artist by profession and lives in a remote but biodiverse area. He has two dogs and several parrots. “The most sensitive thing for me is the mountain falling, because the ground is slipping because so much water has fallen.. I am calm; Otherwise, we have no choice but to entrust ourselves to God or the universe,” the woman reflects.
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-22 in Villamaría. According to statistics presented by Infantry Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Francisco Candela and detailed by the Risk Management Unit – 40 families, a total of 160 people, need to be evacuated from the highest area.
“Within a 15 kilometer radius of high-intensity currents, there will be about 74 families, about 190 people and 700 population floating. For them, evacuation is urgent,” Candela says.
But on the pavement El Papayal did not evacuate any residents. They do not want to leave their homes and lands for fear of losing what they have built.as well as animals from which they obtain milk and other food to sell and eat.
In this sense, the soldiers of the Eighth Brigade of Disaster Awareness and Prevention Engineers are conducting operations to adapt the roads to quickly evacuate the highest areas of Villamaria.
“6 kilometers worked in two weeks and it is planned to increase to 42 kilometers,” says Commander Candela. Especially scraping works, removal of masses, cleaning and adaptation of trenches are done with backhoe and other special machines.
Tourism in this region has increased significantly in recent years, with accommodation available for up to one million pesos per night. But given the situation, this sector has dropped significantly as Patiño “doesn’t come in with tourists.”
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Returning to Los Nevados National Park, specifically the village of El Fraile on the Torrecitas farm, the family of Carolina Morales lives. Like Consuelo, she and her children Karol and Matías are not planning to evacuate she. Or they can’t do as they explain.
“We’re not afraid. We feel it roaring and trembling (volcano). We have nowhere to go and get all the animals. The truth is we’ve felt this all our lives, just like in 2012. We’re waiting for him. To do what I have to do,” says Carolina, 27.
He says that his children will not be able to read in person due to the measures taken by the Ministry of National Education. “However, it is very difficult for my children to study online because there is no connection here. We are used to children going to school or studying with a guide,” she says.
Meanwhile, on the last day of EL TIEMPO’s visit to Nevado del Ruiz Park, the volcano was finally appreciated in its maximum glory. This is after climbing the top of Gualí, where a group of soldiers guard several telecommunication antennas and watch the activity of the volcano, which is located in a straight line 6 kilometers away.
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Source: Exame
