Authorities scramble to head-off risks of landslides/ flooding
In Vila Pouca de Aguiar, northern Portugal, land is being levelled in the steepest areas affected by recent wildfires; paths and gutters are being cleaned and the cultural activities of a rural fair have been cancelled due to heavy rain forecast.
After four major fires that hit the district last week, preventative work is being carried out in haste due to the forecast of persistent rain, which places the Vila Real district under an orange warning tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday.
Vila Pouca de Aguiar mayor Ana Rita Dias tells Lusa that members of the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) have been on the ground since Monday stabilising the most dangerous areas affected by the fires, in order to prevent any land- or mudslides.
“They’re doing the prevention part by constructing mud supports. We’re also doing this kind of prevention, and we’ve warned people to be vigilant,” she said.
Attention is centred on the steepest slopes that were stripped of vegetation after the fires.
The municipality and parish councils have also been cleaning paths and drainage gullies to facilitate water run-off since Friday, while there are also concerns about water supply points, such as reservoirs and springs: the municipality has asked citizens to limit consumption while they ‘sift’ ash from the water before it enters the supply chain.
Source: LUSA
