SANTO DOMINGO.– The Minister of Public Works and Communications, Deligne Ascención, declared the institution's Emergency Committee in permanent session this Monday, given the trajectory of Hurricane Beryl, which, according to the latest forecasts, could affect the southern region of the country.
He explained that the Committee is in charge of scheduling preventive measures to be able to provide immediate responses to the effects that the storm may cause, as well as the tropical wave that is affecting a large part of the national territory.
“We are here with some of the operational areas of the MOPC, activating a protocol that the Ministry has for these types of cases, to provide a response in some cases preventive, such as the first measures to be carried out, and then the response with the effects of the storm,” he said.
He stated that the MOPC has the responsibility to enable access and transportation for people on highways, freeways and local roads, and likewise to allow the main roads of the country to have the accessibility that allows the movement of people.
He said that contracting companies have made contact to offer their equipment to the MOPC in case of any emergency situation.
Regarding the meeting led by President Luis Abinader with the agencies linked to emergency plans, which took place at the National Palace, he said that the president gave instructions for these plans to be activated in the event of meteorological events.
Ascención said that apart from its limited powers to assist on roads, highways and paths, the MOPC supports the actions of the municipalities, as in the case of the councils of Greater Santo Domingo, they have been given support in cleaning ravines.
“With the equipment we have acquired in the last four years, we are now better able to respond to cases that arise,” he said.
He said that through the Ministry's Equipment and Transport Directorate, the metal advertising structures placed on pedestrian bridges that could pose a danger to people passing through will be removed.
He indicated that the MOPC has called some institutions that have placed them and told them that for security reasons those infrastructures will be removed.
Those present at the event included the Vice Minister of Planning and Technical Regulation, Ángel Tejeda; Élido Alcántara, Director of Equipment and Transportation; Demetrio Luciano, Director of Road Maintenance; Yasmina Veras, Director of Social Programs, among others.
