Medio ambiente

The Morelia highway, which is slated for improvements, has been  generally used as a garbage dump. However, with the visit of Governor Enrique Alfaro, the authorities «got their act together» trying to hide the garbage that has been accumulating.

Until a week ago, bags of garbage could be seen piled up on the side of the road at the access to the Morelia highway. According to witnesses, the company GIRRSA, which has a contract granted by the Government of Jocotepec to collect garbage, is responsible for filling the banks of the beltway with garbage. In addition to the municipality, citizens have been dumping their garbage here as well. 

In 2019, Governor Alfaro toured the area of the beltway, finding garbage and even giving a «slap on the wrist» to Jocotepec President Gómez López.

 «Today in the afternoon our governor, Enrique Alfaro, was passing through Jocotepec; it is a shame that he sent me these images of the beltway full of garbage. Remember that our municipality is #LoHaceSuGente (The People Do It) and it is not fair that because of some people we have  such a bad image,» the Jocotepec president wrote at the time. 

Translated by Christalle Dalsted

Firefighters bring the flames under control. Photo: JocoPiolin.

Garbage and dozens of tires burned recently in a fire on Matamoros Sur Street that caused a large column of black smoke to be visible from all over Jocotepec.

The smoke rose quickly from a property located toward the Roca Azul subdivision, so the authorities were notified. Elements of Civil Protection and Firefighters of Jocotepec arrived on the scene to control the blaze and helped prevent the fire from expanding.  

Translated by Mike Rogers

View of the lake from the Ajijic beach, in front of the boardwalk. Photo: D. Arturo Ortega.

According to the National Water Commission (CONAGUA), the dams in Jalisco are at better levels than last year. The Calderón Dam is at 70 percent of its capacity and Lake Chapala is at 67 percent.

During the 2021 storm, the lake gained 1.90 meters, while the dams captured more than 80 percent of their total volume. However, the levels of the state’s bodies of water began to decline on December 18.

An acute drought in Jalisco for the coming months has been predicted, based on studies by researchers from the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO), the Atlas de Vulnerabilidad Hídrica en México ante el Cambio Climático, CONAGUA, and the Monitor de Sequía Nacional.

Lake Chapala is at 67 percent of its capacity according to CONAGUA. Image of the shore of the beach in Ajijic. Photo: D. Arturo Ortega. 

These studies determined that, as of March 3, 2021, areas considered abnormally dry increased from 24 percent to 46.6 percent in the current year; and at least 91 municipalities in Jalisco began the dry season in  a moderate drought.

However, compared to last year, the dam basins’ recovery has improved. The Calderón dam, currently at 70 percent capacity, was at 16 percent compared to last year. The Vaqueros dam in the north of the state went from 26 to 77 percent of its capacity.

This led Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez to share a positive message on social networks as part of World Water Day commemoration on March 22. «Despite the difficulties we have gone through, our dams and Lake Chapala are at much better levels now than last year. But we cannot slack off; if we want water for the future, we must raise awareness and how to use it wisely as a way of life.» 

Translated by MaryAnne Marble

Volunteers sorting recyclable material at the Ajijic Recycling Center in West Ajijic.

Patrick O’Heffernan (Ajijic).- After years of neglect by the former administration, recycling in Ajijic is back on track, thanks to former  and now current Committee Chairwoman Esther Prada and cooperation from the new Chapala Director of Ecology, Lic. María Guadalupe Vázquez Solano.  The citizens committee that handles recycling for Ajijic has been appointed, with all by one position, secretary, filled.  The committee manages the recycling center on the Carretera in West Ajijic, and handles some pickup of recyclable materials from the blue barrels.  

The center’s work has been slowed for some time due to the lack of a compactor to compress processed materials before they are trucked to Guadalajara for sale.  Reciclaje Ajijic operates out of a former military training center now owned by the government. Materials are delivered to the center, sorted, cleaned and packed for transport. While the committee owns a compactor, bought with donated funds, the previous administration was not helpful in  connecting electricity to the center to operate it. Appointing a new committee was the first step toward CFE assigning an address and connecting power to the compactor.

Prada was able to negotiate the committee’s  formation as part of her drive to obtain commitments from the municipality that they will continue support for the center and guarantees that equipment installed at the center will remain with Reciclaje Ajijic if a new administration is elected.  In a meeting  with Ecology Director Vázquez Solano., Laguna found her to be enthusiastic about the program  and to systematically seeing the process through with Reciclaje Ajijic and possibly expand recycling to other delegations

Reciclaje Ajijic is asking for volunteers to assist them in processing the backlog of materials at the center.  Those interested can contact Reciclaje Ajijic volunteer coordinator Colleen Kissinger at reciclajeajijic@gmail.com.

A large ceiba or kapok tree choked by the concrete for the construction of the bicycle path. Photo: Alma Serrano.

Alma Serrano (San Juan Cosala).- At least three trees are being killed by the construction of the bicycle lane in the San Juan Cosalá section. 

A ficus, a plum tree, and a large ceiba (​​kapok, a most sacred tree for the ancient Maya and symbol of the universe), located in the block between Cuauhtémoc and Tacuba streets, were left without space for irrigation or growth after the concrete was placed for the bicycle lane. 

A plum tree was also left without space for water. Photo: Alma Serrano.

«I don’t know why they cemented in the trees, if the tree grows it can damage the cement. And I don’t understand why they cut other trees down» commented one of the neighbors. 

In addition to these, neighbors in the area denounced the felling of other trees for the construction of the road that began in November of last year and is expected to be finished by the end of March 2022. 

Translated by Kerry Watson

At the end of the party, empty bottles, cigarette packs and snack packages are left along González Gallo Avenue.

Jazmín Stengel(Chapala).- González Gallo Avenue in Chapala is one of the most popular spots where people go to drink and socialize on weekends, which causes a large accumulation of garbage.

According to shopkeepers in the area, the majority of the people who come to party at night are locals. However,  few of them seem to pick up their garbage when they leave, leaving empty liquor and soft drink bottles, cigarette packs and an endless number of snack packages scattered all over the avenue.

Witnesses also said they were aware that the garbage truck passes by at night and very early in the morning. Many of the neighbors are in the habit of taking out the garbage after the garbage collectors have left, which also causes piles of garbage that are left overnight.

There are two main alcohol stores on the avenue, both of which said they help pick up their customers’ garbage before closing after midnight, but they do not always notice the garbage that people leave behind in the early morning.

One of the owners has observed on his security cameras, dogs tearing up the bags on the ground and citizens opening the bags to look for empty aluminum cans and leaving the rest of the garbage scattered on the ground.

The staff of Chapala Park and Gardens Department, together with the Public Waste Department, which has the obligation to keep the area clean start sweeping at 5:00 a.m. but this routine is not always regular, according to the shopkeepers who observe the street through their cameras.

Monday is the most critical day, due to the fact that there are more people partying on González Gallo Avenue the night before, so the garbage increases and the truck tends to pass later in the day. The merchants interviewed assume that this is due to the accumulation of garbage on the malecón, as they have observed the personnel in charge passing by on more than one occasion.

Translated by Christalle Dalsted

Photo Credit: Arturo Ortega

Despite last year’s good weather, so far in the dry season, Lake Chapala has lost 44 centimeters of water. It is currently at 69% of total capacity. The average reservoir volume in the state of Jalisco is 80%.

Translated by Amy Esperanto

El antes y el después de la vista de Enrique Alfaro a Jocotepec.

Redacción.- Desde semanas atrás, orillas del libramiento Jocotepec han sido utilizadas como basureros, en donde se dejan montones de bolsas con desechos, tal como en el acceso por la zona de carretera Morelia, aunque, con la visita del Gobernador, Enrique Alfaro, las autoridades “se pusieron las pilas” intentando ocultar la basura que se ha ido acumulando.

Hasta hace una semana, en el punto se podían observar diversas bolsas de basura amontonadas a un costado de la carretera, justo en el acceso por la carretera a Morelia, dando una pésima imagen a los turistas que usan la vialidad. Según testigos, la empresa GIRRSA, que tiene una concesión otorgada por el Gobierno de Jocotepec para recoger la basura, es la responsable de llenar las orillas del libramiento con basura, sumado a que personas que intentan tirar basura de manera clandestina, ven en el punto el lugar perfecto. 

Otro punto del libramiento Jocotepec en el que regularmente se tira basura.

La basura ha sido visible para todos, excepto para la Dirección de Ecología de Jocotepec, que parece no tener mucha fuerza ni autoridad para entrar en estos temas. En el 2019, la anterior administración, también a cargo de José Miguel Gómez López, presentaba ante el cabildo la creación del “Reglamento Ambiental del Municipio de Jocotepec, Jalisco”, que en papel es muy atractivo, pero en la aplicación ha dejado que desear. 

En el año 2019, Enrique Alfaro cruzó la zona del libramiento, encontrando basura y hasta dandole su “jalón de orejas” a Gómez López. “Hoy por la tarde nuestro gobernador, Enrique Alfaro, estuvo de paso por Jocotepec; es una vergüenza que me haya enviado estas imágenes del libramiento lleno de basura. Recuerden que a nuestro municipio lo #LoHaceSuGente y no es justo que por culpa de algunas personas demos tan mala imagen” (sic), escribió en ese entonces el presidente jocotepense.

Garbage fills Gonzalez Gallo Avenue in Chapala.

Jazmín Stengel (Chapala).- After the party, the garbage appears. Trash such as empty bottles, cigarette packs and beer containers are littered on Gonzalez Gallo Avenue in Chapala every weekend. 

According to neighbors, at night it is common for groups of friends to get together to drink and leave without picking up their garbage. 

The city workers who typically clean up the area are not on duty on Sundays, and on Mondays the garbage truck comes later than usual. Chapala residents say that it is now customary to see a large amount of garbage after visitors pass through on weekends.

Translated by Christalle Dalsted

Derrame de aguas negras que se captó la semana pasada, en la calle Flores Magón. Foto: Sofía Medeles.

Sofía Medeles.- Se reportó un fuerte derrame de aguas negras en dos puntos de la zona litoral de Ajijic, durante el fin de semana pasado. El encargado del Sistema Municipal de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado (SIMAPA) de la delegación, Timoteo Aldana Pérez, explicó que esto fue a causa de una falla en el sistema.

Durante la tarde del domingo 13 de marzo, abundaron los reportes en redes sociales señalando que es un problema recurrente en los distintos registros y cárcamos pequeños que se ubican en la orilla del lago en la población.

Aldana Pérez comentó que el fin de semana se le estuvo dando mantenimiento y limpieza a los cárcamos pequeños, para evitar colapsos futuros, no obstante, mientras realizaban su trabajo, notaron que el sistema de drenaje se paró. Al ser común que se detenga por fallas eléctricas, decidieron reportarlo a la Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) para su reparación; mientras el personal de SIMAPA siguió con su labor.

Al día siguiente, se le contactó para reportar el derrame de aguas negras en el registro ubicado casi al frente del skate park. Extrañado, habló con personal de la comisión, quien le informó que se debía a un defecto en el sistema de rebombeo del cárcamo general.

Tras informarle al personal de la planta de tratamiento, ubicada en San Antonio Tlayacapan, acudieron a reparar el problema, se trataba de unos conectores fundidos. Al cambiarlos, paró el derramamiento; el lunes 14, personal de SIMAPA realizó una revisión en los colectores de la zona, para asegurarse que estaban despejados y sin colapsos.

 En cuanto al derrame de la calle Flores Magón, se trataba de lo que llaman como “desahogue”, el cual habilitaron mientras daban mantenimiento, pero que el viernes, se tapó la salida para que el sistema funcionase con normalidad.

Finalmente, Timoteo Pérez enfatizó en que necesitan reemplazar pronto el colector, ya que, por la edad que tiene, no cree que dure más de cinco años funcionando correctamente. Por otro lado, pidió a la población apoyarlos evitando tirar desechos al drenaje, puesto que, durante la última limpieza, siguieron encontrando ladrillos, pedazos de madera, calzado, entre otros deshechos.