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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | November 2007 
Mexico's Flood Disaster Attributed To Unfinished $190 Million Levee Project
 Vittorio Hernandez - AHN News
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 |  | Money was spent to pay contractors, gasoline for private vehicles and on cigarettes and baked products.
- Saint Tomas Association |  | |
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. |
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