Catacaos residents fear flood disaster as El Niño approaches amid delayed sewage project

More than 66,000 residents of the Peruvian district of Catacaos are anxious that heavy rains linked to the upcoming El Niño phenomenon could cause flooding. A city‑wide sanitation and drainage system, originally budgeted at S/ 168 million and now over S/ 201 million, has missed its June 6 deadline, leaving key pumping stations unfinished and streets blocked by incomplete work. Officials note the project is 75.5 % complete, but without the final pumps the network cannot cope with the expected November rains, raising fears of a severe drainage collapse and traffic chaos. The community, represented by the Catacaos Unidos association, warns that without accelerated construction, especially at the intersection of Alejandro Taboada and Independencia, the town will be left exposed to the looming climate threat.