Ministry releases an additional R$ 467,4 million for the Transposition project.

PE247 – The Ministry of National Integration signed a contract worth R$ 467,4 million with the companies SA Paulista and Somague for the completion of complementary works on the São Francisco River Integration Project. An additional 1,5 workers are expected to be hired to reinforce activities on the East Axis. "This is an important step towards the full remobilization of the São Francisco River project," declared Minister Fernando Bezerra Coelho (PSB). With an initial budget of R$ 4,5 billion, the Transposition project is currently budgeted at R$ 8,2 billion and employs more than 5 workers. The works are expected to be completed in 2015.

According to information from the ministry, the new workers will be involved in the construction of canals and pumping stations in the former lots 9 and 13, renamed as targets 1 and 2 of the East Axis. “This stage will enable 100 km of water in the East Axis by the end of 2014. We believe that, in the next 30 to 60 days, we will already have the work crews mobilized and the works resumed along the 200 km length of the East Axis,” said FBC.

While the Eastern Axis will benefit Pernambuco and Paraíba, the Northern Axis includes, in addition to these two states, Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte. The sections of Goals 1L (74% completed) and 2L (53,8%) begin at the intake of the São Francisco River, in Floresta (PE), and continue to the Barro Branco Reservoir, in Custódia (PE).

The sections of the works that will be under the care of the contractors SA Paulista and Somague are Metas 3 Norte (3N) - formerly lots 6 in Muriti (CE) and lots 7 in São José das Piranhas (PB) - and 3 Leste (3L) – formerly lots 10, 11 and 12 in Custódia (PE) and Monteiro (PB).

Due to delays in the construction of the water transfer project, the Ministry of National Integration decided to intensify the pace of construction. In the last five months, for example, five work orders were issued – two for the North Axis and three for the supervision of work on the two axes (North and East). According to the ministry, the project has generated more than a thousand new jobs since December of last year.

The ministry also reported that for every R$ 1 billion invested in the São Francisco River project, another R$ 2 billion is applied to structural works to guarantee water security in the Northeast Region. “This is a project that is the mother of many others. From the water transfer project, we will carry out very important and relevant water infrastructure projects such as the Agreste Branch and the Agreste Pipeline, which will benefit more than 60 cities in Pernambuco. We have already started the works on the Coastal Watersheds in Paraíba, and the Water Belt in Ceará. In September, we will begin work on the Apodi Branch, which will be another arm of the São Francisco River in Rio Grande do Norte,” declared Bezerra Coelho.