Oiticica dam will benefit 43 municipalities and 330,000 people

Brasília (DF) - This week, the federal government transferred R$46 million to the Rio Grande government to continue work on the Oiticica Hydrosocial Complex. The funds will be used for the raising of the dam, the agro-villages and complementary services, such as access roads and the implementation of the electricity grid. The construction is part of the package of priority works presented by Governor Fátima Bezerra to the minister, Waldez Góes, at the beginning of the month.

“Water security policies are so important to President Lula that he included an axis in the New PAC to ensure water for the population in the regions that need it most. He has always defended this action, and Minister Waldez and I are charged with ensuring that there is no shortage of water in quantity and quality for those who don't have it,” said the National Secretary for Water Security, Giuseppe Vieira. And he assured: “We are always guaranteeing the budget for priority works, which are in the PAC, as is the case with the Oiticica Dam.

The Oiticica Dam is currently 95% complete. The reservoir's current capacity is 75.56 million cubic meters. The final capacity will be 598 million, which will benefit 43 municipalities and 330,000 people. It will be the third largest reservoir in Rio Grande do Norte. The project is located in the municipality of Jucurutu and is part of the São Francisco River Integration Project.

“This dam has been under construction since 2003 and now we are finally seeing its completion. We who were affected by the construction of this dam have been through many struggles. We have achieved many things, including the new Vila Barra de Santana, which is where we live. Today we live in a different reality. We used to live in a small, quiet place. Now the community is all modern, the houses are of an excellent standard,” celebrated Erica Nayara Gomes Fernandes, a self-employed resident of the area.

“This is another great achievement for the people of Rio Grande do Norte. It will guarantee water security and ensure water for human consumption and production, creating opportunities for work and income. It's a project that will have a positive impact on more than 40 municipalities,” said the governor of Rio Grande do Norte, Fátima Bezerra. As well as storing water, the dam aims to prevent flooding in the region.

The Oiticica Complex comprises the physical works to build the water reservoir (Main Dam and Auxiliary Bars I and II), all the social works (resettlement of the Barra de Santana community and Agrovilas), as well as all the complementary works (environmental licensing, archaeological rescue, plant suppression and others), which make up the elements of the construction of the Oiticica Dam.