Nayra Rivera / Reform Agency
Friday, May 05, 2023 | 17:39
Guanajuato.- Environmental specialists and civil organizations warned that the severity of the fire in the Guanajuato municipal garbage dump is being underestimated by the authorities, who have not evacuated the population that could be most affected.
At noon this Friday, the Air and Health Index of the Guanajuato Environment and Territorial Planning Secretariat (Smaot) indicated that the air quality is bad in the municipalities of León, Silao, Guanajuato, Irapuato, Celaya and Salamanca.
This morning, the authorities issued a video in which it was reported that the fire is level 4 and that its extinction will be complex.
“We are doing everything possible, it is a highly complex fire due to the type of waste found there, called level 4, we are carrying out permanent measurements and we are not coordinating with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health to inform society in a timely manner about the preventive actions that must be taken,” said Mariza Ortiz, head of Smaot.
For his part, the Secretary of Health, Daniel Díaz, indicated that the agency is in permanent session, and that as recommendations it is requested to use face masks, avoid outdoor activities, close doors and windows, in addition, place wet towels under the doors.
“(It is recommended) to suspend massive activities and avoid burning fireworks, reduce the production of garbage and in case of any discomfort, go to the health units,” it was explained.
Despite these recommendations, this Thursday night a massive concert was held at the Alhóndiga de Granaditas and tourism has not been stopped by the City Council, reproached citizens via social networks.
At noon this Friday, Mayor Alejandro Navarro assured that there has been significant progress in extinguishing the flames and that it is expected that during Friday night it will reach 80 percent control.
“The emergency forces have been working constantly and tirelessly at the final disposal site and we already have significant progress in the control and liquidation of the fire,” he said at a conference.
This Thursday afternoon, the Guanajuato Environmental Citizen Committee warned that the fire had no percentage of control and that the dump is not a sanitary landfill, as authorities claim, but an open-air dump.
“So far, 3 days after the burning of waste, including substances and compounds regulated and prohibited by the Stockholm Convention and annexes, the evacuation of the general population and vulnerable groups has not been carried out,” they protested via Facebook .
While Dr. Michelle Farfán Gutiérrez, professor of the Engineering Division and collaborator in the Department of Geomatics and Hydraulics of the University of Guanajuato, warned in an interview for this institution that the levels of toxicity are high, which is why it is burning.
“On Monday the fire started and on Tuesday there were columns of smoke that we all saw from our homes and that the wind gradually accumulated the concentration of chemicals and they are all highly carcinogenic, previously they were carbon dioxide, monoxide carbon, even arsenic, heavy metals, just starting to name them gives me goosebumps, unfortunately I don’t know of anyone who is measuring these substances,” he said.
“What can the population do? Leave the city, those who can leave, do so, do not stay in the city.”
