The government is considering buying weather radars for Chile, according to Emol. The outlet reported that Interior Undersecretary Máximo Pavez confirmed the assessment following last Thursday's mudslide in Las Condes.
Pavez provided two figures. Each radar costs about $800 million. The country would need about eight units for nationwide coverage. Based on those figures, the total investment would be around $6,400 million. Emol does not report a timeline, funding sources or which agency would operate the equipment.
The idea did not originate in La Moneda. Las Condes Mayor Catalina San Martín was the first to raise the need for this equipment. According to Emol, the executive branch took up the proposal shortly afterward.
What are they used for? The radars detect the intensity and movement of rain and storms in real time. That information improves forecasts and allows authorities to issue early warnings of heavy rain and flooding.
Chile is late in adopting this technology. The United States, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Japan and Australia already use it, as do several European countries. In the region, Argentina and Brazil already have these networks.
The discussion comes amid a tense atmosphere. The mayors of Ñuñoa and Las Condes have criticized the executive branch's handling of the emergency, while the Public Prosecutor's Office reviews what measures were taken to prevent the disaster.
For the average citizen, the question is concrete: how much earlier they could receive a warning before the next storm. For now, the government has not announced a decision. The purchase remains under consideration and depends on an amount close to $6,400 million for which no budget has yet been publicly allocated.
