More than 55,700 inhabitants of the department benefit from the declaration of their land free of suspicion of antipersonnel mines
Huila. Soldiers of the Battalion of Humanitarian Demining Engineers N.5 who carried out non-technical studies for 16 months in the municipalities of Suaza, Gigante and 25 sectors of Colombia (municipality), Baraya and Neiva, today present 137,119 square meters free of suspicion of anti-personnel mines, improvised explosive devices and unexploded ordnance.
The decontaminated territory is represented by 42,931 square meters of the municipality of Suaza, 50,372 square meters of Gigante and 43,816 square meters of 10 sectors of the municipality Colombia, 10 of Baraya and five of Neiva.
During the work carried out, thanks to the collaboration of the inhabitants, who provided information on possible areas with suspicion, the soldiers investigated 50 events.
In Huila, where 243 victims by antipersonnel mines have been reported, the specialists of the National Army have cleared to date 38,318 square meters with the technique of manual demining and currently they work in 12 municipalities. They have cleared 2,350 square kilometers with non-technical studies, they have investigated 180 events thanks to denunciations or reported accidents in 83 hamlets, destroying nine antipersonnel mines, three Improvised Explosive Devices and one unexploded ordnance.
The presentation of these lands benefits more than 55,700 inhabitants who plant, commercialize and market rice, coffee, corn and a variety of fruits.
Source: Humanitarian Demining Brigade
