“The terrain between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, basically, is the karst area with the highest density of caves, possibly in the world,” said speleologist Guillermo D’Christy, who explained that this area “was originally going to pass on the highway 307”.
Mexico City, January 24 (However).- The speleologist Guillermo D’Christy He assured that during the construction of the section 5 of the Mayan Train areas are being “violated”, specifically “caverns and cenotes”which the federal government promised would be protected.
In interview for the program From twelve to one, which is broadcast on the YouTube channel of However, on airthe specialist pointed out that “they are violating caverns and cenotes that it was promised that it would not be like that”, since “section 5 is very special compared to the other sections.”
“The land between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, basically, is the karst zone and with the highest density of caves, possibly in the world,” said the speleologist, who explained that this area “was originally going to pass on Highway 307.” However, he maintained, “there was an arrangement that was not very clear to us with hoteliers, in which they decided to send the train route through the jungle.”
“They have cut down around 10 million trees, only in the section 5“, stressed D’Christy, who recalled that since 2018 it was planned that this region would be named a world heritage site, because “it has more than three thousand meters of underground rivers.”
This photograph shows a space of jungle that has been cut down for the construction of the Mayan Train, on Friday, August 5, 2022, near the “La Vida y Esperanza” community, in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Photo: Eduardo Verdugo, AP
“In 2018, an entire procedure had already been completed, by the INAH and by the state government, in which this area was going to be named as mixed heritage of humanity by Unesco, that recognized the great rbiocultural equity of the area, the part of the cenotes, the part of the underground rivers.”
“The big issue is that since they cannot be seen, since everything is very flat and since the jungle covers it, apparently it does not exist, that is why it has taken us a lot of work to make the Government and society see that it is being impacted,” he added. Likewise, he highlighted that at cave losses Added to this is the contamination of the Mayan aquifer and its future repercussions.
“Another problem, beyond the cave losseswhich is an invaluable loss, is that these thousands of piles, between eight thousand and 17 thousand piles of concrete and steel, are being driven directly into the great Mayan aquifer, the second aquifer most important in Mexico after Usumacinta, and this water, from this aquifer, is what supplies the entire Riviera Maya,” he said.
“These piles are entering and we do not know for sure the consequences that may occur, from placing thousands of piles, we do not know the change in the chemistry of the water, we do not know if that residual iron from corrosion will eventually reach the wells. catchment, we do not know how it will influence the endemic species that are in danger of extinction and that should be protected,” he said.
Regarding the actions that could be carried out before the various agencies that are in charge of protecting these natural areas, he assured that both the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) as the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) “they are taken” by the federal Executive.
Mayan Train Section 5 South, information about the location of the forestry polygons is omitted. Photo: Greenpeace.
“Semarnat and Profepa are taken over by the Executive branch from the beginning, all the complaints that have been filed, none have been heeded, there are even orders from the court to go verify some of the statements that we have made, and not The authorities have gone to do it,” he asserted.
“The environmental authorities of this country are practically taken, they cannot make any decision except through the Executive power. What is left for us is what we have been doing in the last two years so far, denounce it to society so that they know what is happening,” he reiterated.
For this reason, he urged the next federal administration to compensate for the damage caused by the construction of the Maya Trends through the creation of a protected natural area, at least, in sections 5, 6 and 7.
“Needs [La siguiente administración] compensate for the damage that has been caused by Maya Trendsneeds to apply very broad mitigation methods, we are looking for a protected natural area, at least, in section 5, 6, 7 (…) a protected natural area that can actually help mitigate the damage of the great biological corridor that has just been created,” he concluded.
Sweet Olvera
Reporter on climate crisis, human rights and economic issues. She graduated from the FCPyS of UNAM.
