The government, through the State Secretariat for Toponymy and Urban Organisation (SEATOU), evicted 33 households in the Elemloi area in the capital, Dili, to facilitate the implementation of a project to improve traffic and construction of a drainage system to prevent flooding, particularly during the rainy season.
SEATOU Secretary of State, Germano Santa Brites Dias, said that the measure is intended to support the widening of the road between Timor Plaza and Manleuana, which is considered a strategic road and to improve urban mobility in Dili.
“The drainage system does not function properly, water blocks the road and has a direct impact on traffic. Therefore, the government needs to reorganise this area to ensure that water flows properly and the road does not become flooded,” SEATOU Germano said at Delta Elemloi, in Dili.
He said the project is not limited to widening the road but also includes the reorganisation of critical areas such as the Elemloi Roundabout, which often experiences traffic congestion during the morning and afternoon.
A technical representative from the Ministry of Public Works (MOP), Samuel Dani Soares, said that the government plans to improve the road layout and install a traffic light system to regulate the flow of traffic and reduce congestion.
“With these improvements, we hope to improve traffic movement and reduce travel time for road users,” he said.
He added that integration between the drainage system and road infrastructure is very important to ensure the durability of the road and prevent damage that can occur when there is flooding.
He said that the project to improve traffic and drainage in Elemloi is considered an important part of the government’s efforts to make Dili more orderly, safe and free from traffic congestion and flooding during the rainy season.
On the other hand, a representative of the affected community, João dos Santos, said that they support the government’s plan to improve the city, but asked for fairness and transparency in the compensation process. They do not want to leave the place where they have lived for many years only to live in greater hardship.“We accept development because we also want the city to be clean and free from traffic congestion, but we ask the government not to make us suffer. The compensation must be fair so that we can also find another place to build a house for our children,” he said.
