Landfill Smoke and Blackouts Hit Cancino Adentro Residents Hard

Residents of Cancino Adentro in Santo Domingo Este are enduring a "critical situation" marked by intense smoke from an active landfill fire and power outages that stretch for 15 to 24 hours daily. The prolonged blackouts, which intensified over the weekend, have exacerbated living conditions for the community.

"It is unjust that, with this heatwave and the smoke from the fire, we residents have to endure such prolonged power outages. This directly affects everyone's health and quality of life," said Domingo Mariano, a local resident. He noted that electricity was cut from Saturday morning until late at night, with a similar situation on Sunday.

Carolina Batista, another resident, echoed these concerns, deeming the efforts to control the landfill fire insufficient. "The response has been limited given the magnitude of the problem. Greater inter-institutional coordination is required to face this situation more effectively," she stated. Batista added that constant blackouts in various sectors of Santo Domingo Este have caused widespread discontent, leading to protests like "cacerolazos" (pot-banging demonstrations) demanding service normalization.

The fire at the landfill presents complex challenges due to the nature of the accumulated waste, which generates flammable gases that fuel combustion and hinder complete control. Meanwhile, Celso Marranzini, president of the Unified Council of Electricity Distribution Companies (CUED), attributed the service interruptions to maintenance work, while also highlighting ongoing investments and improvements to the electrical system.