Picture: Radio Cadena Agramonte.

The amount of water stored in reservoirs administered by the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INRH) amounts to 7.37 billion cubic meters, a figure that represents 81 percent of the total capacity, said in this city directors of the organization.

Omar Fernández Richelme, from the Directorate of Rational Use of Water, explained in a meeting with the press that the amount of water stored represents 1.3 billion cubic meters above the historical average for the date.

Fernández Richelme pointed out that there are 34 reservoirs with less than half the filling capacity, 11 below 25 percent and only one dry one, called the Ojo de Agua, in Las Tunas.

The provinces with the best accumulated are Pinar del Río and Cienfuegos, at more than 95 percent of their capacity; meanwhile, the worst conditions are found in Artemisa, Mayabeque, Las Tunas and Guantánamo, he said.

He added that of the 101 main sunderground basins, 98 are in normal condition and only three are in an unfavorable condition.

The reservoirs of Ariguanabo, Vento and Jaruco, which supply the Cuban capital, are tending to increase the level of filling, he said.

The specialist affirmed that since the passage of Hurricane Irma in 2017, the levels of the reservoirs in Cuba have been above the average for each stage, although now they are approaching the average numbers.

The rains associated with natural phenomena such as hurricanes Alberto and Michael, which had a notable influence on the accumulated water, have contributed to this, he explained.

In this regard, he commented that the volume of rainfall in the period from May to September was higher than the historical average, with records of 937.2 millimeters (mm), 10 percent above the records for that stage of the year.