Villagers in the north Colombian Bolivar department are rebuilding their homes after a breached canal was repaired following almost two months’ work, newspaper El Tiempo reported Wednesday.
Workers on the Dique Canal in the department of Bolivar completed their final phase in closing a 787 foot breach in the canal which flooded villages and left over 150,000 people displaced.
“We have worked with enough force. It is really a day of joy for us.” Mr. Rodriquez, a worker on the repair project, told RCN Radio.
The job is not complete for the thousands of people displaced by this flood, as many towns have been badly damaged and some are still flooded.
“We only want that the attention does not just center on the closure of the leak and now they forget about us. We want to feel the help of the government, that the help arrives, that the water be drained from our towns.” said flood victim Madelina Florez to Caracol Radio.
According to El Tiempo workers have also opened 164 foot hole in the canal wall to drain water from the inundated towns. Workers say the water is draining at almost 133,000 gallons per second.