Porto Alegre: “almost 1.3 million people will be without water”, says mayor

In an interview with CNN on the morning of this Wednesday (17), the mayor of Porto Alegre, Sebastião Melo (MDB), warned that 1.3 million residents of the capital could be left without water supply as a result of the storm that hit the city.

According to him, there is no energy for treatment. “We have six water collection stations, five of which have not had power since 10pm”, explained the mayor.

“This also applies to flooding. There is no pumping without the pumps working. We are without power in 11 of these pump houses”, he added.

Sebastião Melo asked the affected population for patience with the interruption of services at home. Some higher risk services will be prioritized, such as hospitals, nursing homes and social assistance facilities. “First we will save lives, save hospitals and then we will reach the population”, he said.

According to the manager, the municipality is prioritizing draining the drainage routes, according to him, “so that the city does not stop”.

“Without energy, the city doesn't function, water doesn't flow, traffic doesn't work, there's no governance at the hospital', emphasized the mayor.

Despite efforts to normalize routine in Porto Alegre, Sebastião Melo appeals to residents who can not leave their homes. “It’s going to be two or three very difficult days”, he ponders.

The request extends to the 150 thousand people who travel daily from the metropolitan region to the capital of Rio Grande do Sul. This morning, 80% of the bus fleet is in operation.

The mayor told the CNN which declared an emergency situation in order to speed up hiring and solve immediate problems in the municipality.

Source: CNN Brasil

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