Irrigation Blues

The Asociación Agua para el Campo is warning that the lack of action from different administrations over the Rules Dam distribution network is leading to an irrigation crisis.

They strongly criticise the “continual lies from politicians” and the passive attitude coming from the Lower Guadalefo Irrigation Board.

The Chairman of the association, Joaquín Cabrera, emphasises that there is a high risk of salt-water infiltration in Valle Río Verde and says that some irrigation wells already have a high saline content in the water they are drawing up. Other wells have seen a steep drop in the amount of water they hold.

He concludes that that situation is unsustainable in the face of this shortage of rainfall and the constant delays to the promised irrigation water from the Pantano de Rules owing to to the lack of a distribution system.

“The Central Government has lied to us, year after year, ever since the reservoir was finished twelve years ago,” he claimed, adding that in reality there work won’t even begin until 2021.

He also had bitter words concerning the Regional Government in Sevilla, saying that the irrigation cooperatives have offered to financial participate in the cost of bringing treated water from the sewage-treatment plant to Collado Serrano to help alliviate the drought, but there has been no response from the Junta in six years.

His final condemnation was for the Guadalfeo Irrigation Board, which instead of leading struggle have opted, has chosen to remain silent, he claims, so that farmers can only witness that everybody is turning their backs on them.

(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)

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