Jorge Luis Aspiolea, president of the Nation Institute of Hydraulic Resources explained during an interview he did with Granma newspaper that the lack of rainfall is serious.

By the end of January, reservoirs only contained 1 983 million m3 of the precious liquid less than the one gathered in the same period in 2004.

Today they account for just 3 071 million m3, 35% of the overall capacity.

Last December 31 the domestic rainfall rate barely went up to 952 mm being 69% of the yearly historical average.

Meanwhile, archives data reflect since 1901 on this year’s is the lowest rate reached in terms of national precipitation.

According to the source, the year 2005 began very dry with only 44 mm registered equivalent to half of the historical average for the period.

The country’s regions benefited only at 50% due to the heavy showers following the path of hurricanes Charley and Iván were the provinces of Pinar del Río, the Isle of Youth and Cienfuegos.

Likewise, just have a look at capacity data of dams across the island; Camagüey´s at 14%, while in Las Tunas, Ciego de Ávila, Sancti Spíritus and Granma the record is under 30 %, which is already considered critical.

The daily says that of the total 235 dams in operation, there are which114 do not even reach 25% of filling up, of which 41 are below the so-called
"dead volume ", meaning they are no longer exploitable.

Aspiolea said it’s a hard reality the island faces today, but the best part of it is that we know where water supply is most urgently needed.

And this is one of the Government Central Commission’s goals being perfectly turned out and up to-date on the difficulties and needs nationwide.

He recognized Cuba is facing and affording such unfavourable event with its own means so disregarding, an action that many nations are unable to do, those of the World Bank or the Inter-American Bank, furthermore, we’ve learned how to keep on living without such institutions, he stressed.

And reported in the last few months over 20 million dollars have been invested in infrastructure works.

Aspiolea emphasized the action plan and the Government measures and the Central Commission’s 20 member organisms are prepared to deal with the worst variant: to face another dry weather in 2005 although we hope it won’t be so.

Due to low water availability (one of the lowest records per capita) Cubans are urged to develop saving culture and intelligently take advantage of the initiative set in order to protect such resource.

The country’s leadership headed by President Fidel Castro is vigilantly following step-b-step the situation and focusing on easing damages to resources available.

In this regard, water tank-truck are at service aiding most hit sectors of the population some 1 834 232 people meaning 7 179 drives a day accounting for 50 725 litres of fuel every day.

By: Cubasí