Piura residents warn of flooding risk due to unfinished SARE system

Residents of the La Molina II sector in Piura are warning of potential flooding due to the inadequate state of the Alternative System for the Collection and Evacuation of Rainwater (SARE). Community leaders, including neighborhood president Máximo Vargas Cornejo, have expressed concern that the system is not fully operational despite claims from the Ministry of Housing, Construction and Sanitation that the project is complete.

Local residents report that sand surrounds the water catchment grates, which could cause the system to collapse during heavy rains associated with the El Niño phenomenon. The community is seeking urgent maintenance and the completion of pending works to avoid a repeat of the severe flooding experienced in 2017 and 2023. While ministry representatives have reportedly stated that the presence of sand will not hinder functionality, residents maintain that the infrastructure remains insufficient for upcoming weather forecasts.