Ironically enough (in the almost Alanis Morisette interpretation of the word) despite being nearly washed off the hillside by torrential rain, Olías and Fregenite are still without mains drinking water.
The Mayoress of the Alpujarreño metropolis of Órgiva, María Ángeles Blanco (Mary Angels White) has launched another broadside against the PP Mayor of Motril Carlos Rojas (Charlie Red), who as well as being the Mayor of the said coastal town, is also the Chairman of the Local Area Council, La Mancomunidad de la Costa Tropical y la Alpujarra.
The two thirsty hamlets (Alas poor Olías, I knew it, Horatio!) should be connected up to a small reservoir on the Contraviesa, which in turn is fed by the Río Trevélez – but this arrangement has still not seen the light of day.
“The Town Hall, with the help of the Junta, the Provincial Council and the Central Government set aside 270,000 euros so that Olías and Fregenite could receive clean, hygienic drinking water, but the Mancomunidad’s technicians just keep dragging it out,” she complains. Thus Olly and Fred continued in a parched state, despite the coming and goings of Biblical Arks thanks to the pretty impressive rainfall.
“The reservoir work was completed five months ago, but still nobody has told us where to connect up to,” she accused. If I hadn’t mentioned it before, Olly and Fred are municipal dependencies of Oggy… Sorry, Órgiva.
The old folk of the two hamlets will tell you that 71 years ago, before they were hobbled to Órgiva, they requested drinking water and were told by a nice politician chap that they would have it in a couple of days… Well, those ‘couple of days’ turned into being 25,915 days and there is still no drinking water to be had!