April 13, 2022

17:04

Ívina Garcia – from Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – One more stage of Balbina Hydroelectric Power Plant, in Presidente Figueiredo (125 kilometers from Manaus), was opened, at noon this Tuesday, 12, after a favorable decision from the Amazonas State Justice, signed by the Judge of Law Roger Luiz Paz de Almeida. The Municipality of Urucará, at the mouth of the Uatumã River, turned on the flood alert and may decree a situation of emergency until the end of the month.

In the note, Urucará warns about the floodplain areas of the municipality that could be affected by the arrival of the waters coming from the plant. In some stretches, the river level may present an unusual elevation. According to the Civil Defense of Urucará, the impacts can be direct in the rural and agricultural areas of the municipality and region.

“We are decreeing a situation of alert because the water level is rising between 4 and 5 centimeters per day. We still don’t have a position about Balbina’s floodgates, but we will be on alert for the next five days to issue any emergency signals,” Marcivaldo Castro, coordinator of Urucará’s Civil Defense, explains to CENARIUM MAGAZINE.

Eletrobras Amazonas GT, responsible for the Balbina HPP, did not disclose how many centimeters more was opened the spillway, nor the amount of water being leaked. By 5pm on Tuesday, the Uatumã River had risen 7cm, which may lead to a ban on the Morena Branch Line for small cars even at the beginning of Wednesday 13.

The company, according to the agreement, will provide transportation and fuel for the affected families and workers, in the surroundings, to mitigate the damage suffered by the gradual opening of the dam. According to the agreement, Eletrobras will distribute 500 basic food baskets every seven days. Besides the Céu e Mar community, located at kilometer 3 of Ramal da Morena, other communities may be affected by flooding points, they are: São José do Uatumã, São Jorge do Uatumã and PDS Morena.

Decision

The Amazonas State Court revoked the decision that suspended the opening of the spillway gates at the Balbina Hydroelectric Power Plant. The measure was taken after an agreement between Eletrobras/Eletronorte and the city hall, signed in a conciliatory hearing.

The opening of the floodgates had been denied, on Monday, 11, by the Amazonas Justice Department. The Judge of Law considered the allegation of the Mayor’s Office of Presidente Figueiredo, that the action could cause damage to the families living in the communities close to the Uatumã River, where the power plant is located. The magistrate also requested that Eletrobras present a plan to reduce the socio-environmental impact.

In the new decision, the judge pointed out that an agreement was signed for the plant. According to him, the conciliatory hearing was requested by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, because of the concern about the dam bursting and the safety of the residents who live around the plant.

“In this agreement, the hydroelectric plant committed itself, in addition to safeguarding the issue of reparation to eventual environmental damage, to provide basic food baskets and boats for the mobility of the people who live there. All this was adjusted in the term and a homologating sentence was issued so that it can be fulfilled and have legal force for the fulfillment of all these negotiations that were held throughout this hearing”, declared Judge Roger de Almeida.

Read also: Justice turns back and allows the opening of floodgates in Balbina Hydroelectric Plant, in the AM