Northern Mexico dries up

The consequences of the drought in Mexico are already being felt throughout the northern half of the country, with expressions as disparate as they are violent, in some cases.

In Nuevo León there were neighborhood riots that ended up burning the pipelines when the residents of Allende believed that water was being diverted from their river to Monterrey.

In states such as Sonora, Baja California, Coahuila or Chihuahua, the situation has become "critical" in 90% of the territory, according to official terminology.

At the moment, the 210 main dams in the country register an average level of filling of 45% with a deficit of 10% compared to the usual average and in places like Mexico City they are betting on the Michoacán dams to alleviate the shortage

The National Water Commission (Conagua) declared a state of emergency due to drought that in some northern states affects more than 90% of their territory.

According to the agency, Sonora, Baja California, Coahuila and Chihuahua have more than 90% of the area affected on average.

In some cases, such as Hermosillo (Sonora), the dam was reported totally empty, while Punta de Agua, also in Sonora, registered 0.01% filling.

In the Copándora dam, in Michoacán, only 0.07% is reached, in Cerro Prieto, in Nuevo León, 0.56% and in El Peaje, in San Luis Potosí, little more than 1% of filling is registered. .

The La Boca dam in Monterrey, Nuevo León.

Fernando Llano (AP)

Although rains are expected in the next few days in the Jalisco area due to the arrival of Hurricane Estelle, according to the National Meteorological Service, the weather phenomenon known as "La Niña" is expected, which has contributed to the severe drought that is hitting Jalisco. the northern states of the country, will be maintained until the end of the year.

This is a phenomenon that has spread unusually for three consecutive years since 2020.

One of the hardest hit regions is Nuevo León.

Despite attempts to ration water and the fact that shortages are already being felt in different parts of Monterrey, the metropolitan area is just entering the "most critical" stage of the drought crisis, according to Conagua.

The Cerro Prieto dam, located in Linares, Nuevo León, "technically is finished" as a source of water for the city and will no longer be able to contribute to the population, which is why complicated weeks are coming, recognized Luis Carlos Alatorre, regional director of the organism.

However, patience is running out and inhabitants of municipalities such as Allende and Montemorelos violently protested by burning the PVC pipes of the Water and Drainage Services (SAD) to prevent the pipes from being connected to the Ramos River and supplying water to the inhabitants of the community. Monterey metropolitan area.

State Civil Protection said that the burning was caused on Friday night when the protest of the residents who live near the tributary and who had already expressed their dissatisfaction with the intention of extracting water from said channel rose in tone.

The protests began after the announcement by the government headed by Samuel García to draw 500 liters of water per second from the Ramos River, located in that region dedicated to the cultivation of citrus fruits, to supply Monterrey, since one of its main sources of supply, the dam tight hill,

The drought has even caused friction in the bilateral relationship with the United States.

Almost two years after the current five-year cycle began for the delivery of water from the Rio Grande basin to the United States, Mexico has covered just 4% of the quota that corresponds to it for the period from 2020 to 2025. At this point, in the previous cycle, the one that goes from 2015 to 2020, 19% had already been delivered.

According to the 1944 Water Treaty, Mexico must deliver a minimum of 2,158 million cubic meters of liquid from the basin in each five-year cycle.

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