People Affected by Belo Monte demands agility for urban resettlement

People Affected by Belo Monte are in anguish by the delay of Norte Energia to ensure the resettlement of the families of the baixões in Altamira (flood area). The company has committed to resettle 4100 families by the end of the year, but until now only 257 families are resettled.

“The company have said that everything is in order two months ago, but until now we do not know when will be the day of moving to the resettlement”, criticized Janaína, who lives at the Boa Esperança neighbourhood. In her street, many families have already moved to the resettlement Jatobá, but some families who have not moved yet are feeling insecure.

The manager himself of urban relocation of Norte Energia, Amauri Daros, acknowledged the delay: “Our goal is to move 28 to 32 families a day, but so far the average has been 15 families per week,” he says. He said there was delay in the construction of homes, made ??by a third party, CCB and the electrical installation, which depends on the company Celpa.

Last Friday (4 July) at the Government House, people affected organized in MAB, the Norte Energia and representative of the Federal Government were in meeting so that the company would report on the resettling to the people affected. This meeting is happening fortnightly since the Struggles of March, when the MAB started to demand agility of the company to resettle the families. At that moment, the Amazonian region was suffering of extreme rain season, the Xingu river raised more than 8 metres and more than 1000 families were displaced from their homes due to the flooding.

“Were are afraid to go through another rain season here at the baixões, the river have already changed because of the dam, more than 50% of its construction is already complete”, said Edizângela, MAB’s member. Besides, not all those who are registered on the list of those affected will have the right for a new house. The company registered 7790 cases, but are building only 4100 houses.

Another worry is that many families who lives on the areas which will be affected have not even been registered by Norte Energia. The company is carrying out “case studies”, but does not admit to open new registrations and is willing only to address the families for housing governmental programs. “This worries us because many families affected may have not their rights guaranteed,” reminds Edizângela.