Panama Canal Begins Census of Communities on the Indio River
As of 2019, the total population in the Indio River basin area was estimated at 2,264 people, of which 2,000 lived in the area that could be impacted by a future reservoir. This is about 500 families. Amílcar González, a supervisor specializing in control and monitoring of Panama Canal projects, announced that, in order to know exactly how many people live in that region, they have started a new census last week to update all the information. “In this area there are not only houses; there are also churches, schools and other facilities. The number one priority for the Canal is to serve the community. That is why the census began last week,” he said.
He explained that they are looking to identify the number of homes, the number of families, the economic activity they are engaged in, in addition to the dynamics of the community in general, as well as the businesses and establishments that comprise it. “We are doing a census house by house, community by community, to be able to have information on how many people require care and thus develop the resettlement plan. What we want is for them not to be affected and to be able to provide them not only with what they have today, but something better,” he added. He reported that for this census a direct contact number has been activated so that the community in the area can also communicate with the Panama Canal Authority: 6671-8653, Monday through Friday, from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm, or by email to consultasprogramahidrico@pancanal.com
“We need the community to understand the importance of this project,” said González at the XIII Symposium on Energy and Water Industries of the Panamanian Industries Union. He said that they have four offices to serve the communities in the area and that a fifth office will open next week. Following this census, they will draw up a resettlement action plan, and next year they will begin developing formulas to implement compensation measures for the communities that will be affected. He stressed that the solution of the reservoir on the Indio River is the most viable and will represent water benefits for the country, since this infrastructure is intended to provide water to the population and reduce the pressure on the Canal from the water treatment plants.
The project will have an estimated cost of 1.6 billion dollars, of which 1.2 billion dollars correspond to the design and construction, and about 400 million dollars to the social cost to serve the communities. The work will involve building an underground water transfer tunnel, which will be 8.7 kilometers long. This work is expected to take four years. “It will be a type of concrete dam, which will allow, to a certain extent, to begin filling it before the four years of construction are completed,” he said. The schedule presented by the Canal at the Industrial Symposium on Energy and Water provides for the bidding process to take place between the end of 2026 and the beginning of 2027, with the work to be completed in 2031. The water supply from this reservoir will be equivalent to 11 daily transits of ships in the canal.
