News item from the Mundo Drone archive, published 18 April 2020. Text merged on 28 October 2026 from all its 2020 versions; specifications, availability and regulations may have changed since.
After the return of poor air quality to Cúcuta, which became evident yesterday from early morning hours, the local environmental authority has taken several steps to know the reasons for what is happening.
Corponor said that along with the Metropolitan Police of Cúcuta (Mecuc) he will develop controls with high-tech equipment to monitor compliance with the measures to suspend industrial activities that generate atmospheric emissions.
“Anyone who is not complying with the suspension will have to answer for the judicialization that will be transferred to the control authorities,” said Gregorio Angarita, director of Cornonor.
Angarita said they have a record of 47 companies reported with industrial activity (coquizadoras).
“There’s no chance that coquizadoras, dry cleaners, laundries, or the ceramics and clay industry will reactivate their operations while maintaining poor air quality,” Angarita said.
The measure will be in effect until April 23rd; however, if by that date the air quality is not good, the environmental corporation will extend the measure.
“The priority is to protect the health of the citizenry and to avoid to the maximum any respiratory illness in the midst of this situation that we live” because of the pandemic, Angarita added.
For the director of the environmental entity, three situations have caused the air quality to be further affected. The first has to do with polluting emissions by particulate matter from Venezuelan territory, after burning garbage; the second cause is the climate phenomenon known as haze or calima and, finally, forest fires.
Angarita said that in Norte de Santander there were fires in Mutiscua and Silos, which were controlled; to date, in La Playa de Belén there is another forest fire that until the closing of this edition tried to control. Added to this, for two days, in Venezuela, there are several active forest fires.
Due to these three situations, Angarita said that from today they will deliver a daily report on the existence or not of forest fires in Norte de Santander, and twice a week will present a report on air quality.
Monitoring drones
Two high-tech long-range equipment for night and day vision, capable of identifying hot areas, were arranged by the Mecuc for monitoring.
“We have a whole team at the disposal of the environmental authority and the health of the North Anthandereans,” said Colonel José Luis Palomino, commander of the Mecuc.
The colonel said that with the work of five quadrants, inspection work will be done every two hours.
“We need the help of the citizens to inform us if they know about any smoke and report to our lines to immediately take administrative and criminal action,” the colonel concluded.
What do Ideam and the Minambiente say?
Ricardo José Lozano Picón, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, said yesterday in a talk with the Fifth Committee of the Senate, via YouTube, that much of the problem that is experienced in Cúcuta is due to the long dry season.
“Since November it has not rained in some parts of the country; this is the case of Norte de Santander. What we are doing is to increase surveillance in this city that does not have an air quality monitoring system, such as Medellín, Bucaramanga and Bogotá. That is why we will take this model to Cúcuta,” the minister said, without specifying a date.
Meanwhile, Yolanda González Hernández, director of the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (Ideam), announced the weather conditions for the weekend.
“These dry weather conditions are expected to be maintained by Friday and Saturday. Saturday night there is a greater possibility of cloud cloud entering the city of Cúcuta and by Sunday the probability of precipitation will increase,” said González Hernández.
According to the director of Ideam, for next week there is a greater probability of cloudiness with moisture content, precipitations with intensity that will pass from light to moderate.
Source: laopinion.com.co