[NYTr] Mexico's Flood Disaster Attributed to Unfinished $190 Million Levee Project

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

sent by Steven L. Robinson - activ-l

All Headline News - Nov 23, 2007
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7009252463

Mexico:

Flood Disaster Attributed to Unfinished $190 Million Levee Project

by Vittorio Hernandez

Villahermosa, Mexico  - State officials admitted Friday major flood
control projects are still unfinished, resulting to the inundation of
one million homes in Tabasco and claiming at least 33 lives.

At the center of an ongoing investigation is a $190 million levee
project that was supposed to hold back waters.

The project is part of the Integral Project Against Flooding launched in
2003. Following the 1999 flood that caused $375 million damage, the
project was launched to construct 110 miles of levees and 120 miles of
drainage canals throughout the length of the Grijalva, Carrizal and
Samaria Rivers.

Gilberto Segovia, spokesman of the National Water Commission for its
Tabasco area, said 70 percent of the projects were built. The original
plan placed a 2006 deadline for the completion of the projects,
partially built out of a $3 million kitty donated by Mexican oil firms
and raised over 4 years. Former Tabasco Governor Manuel Andrade
extended the completion deadline to 2012.

The Saint Tomas Association, a non-governmental organization, said the
money was spent to pay contractors, gasoline for private vehicles and on
cigarettes and baked products. Tabasco Representative Moises Dagdug
believes there was a lot of corruption involved handling the funds.

Another former Tabasco Governor Roberto Madrazo Pintado denied
corruption allegations, saying during his administration 74 miles of
levees and 62 miles of drainage systems were put in place.

Segovia pointed to the unprecedented levels of rainfall that caused the
flooding. The average rainfall on October was only 15 inches, but
according to the National Water Commission 30.5 inches of rain were
recorded in Tabasco, 12 inches fell on October 28-30.