The Junta de Andalucía has requested that fourteen municipalities that take water from the Axarquía reservoir, La Viñuela consume less water.

The reason being is that despite the rains, La Viñuela still only stands at less than 17% of its maximum capacity, despite having gained four hectometres of water; that’s to say, it contains only 27.5 hectometres, which is far from its maximum capacity of 164.37 hectometres.

Supplying 13,000 hectares of irrigated, subtropical trees and a population of 220,000 inhabitants, its situation remains critical facing the coming summer months.

Junta Delegate for Agriculture, Livestock & Fishing, Fernando Fernández Tapia-Ruano, has called on the area, water-utility company, Axaragua, to reduce the supply to homes to balance the effort farmers are making to reduce their water consumption: farmers have had their quota of 3,000 cubic hectares cut down by half to 1,500 c/he of irrigation water.

According to the Junta, the water company is consuming far too much water, well above previous years because it has not established a limit on domestic consumption.

According to the data offered by the Junta, Axaragua (a public company) has already used up 70% of its 10 hectometres of water from the reservoir designated for the period of the 1st of October, 2021 to 30th of September 2022. In other word, it has used up well over half of its water assignation during late autumn and winter (periods of less demand) and still has the spring and summer to go.

Axaragua supplies water to 14 of the 31 municipalities within the Axarquía. The 14 municipalities are: Algarrobo, Almáchar, Benamocarra, Benamargosa, El Borge, Comares, Cútar, Iznate, Macharaviaya, Moclinejo, Rincón de la Victoria, Torrox, Totalán and Vélez-Málaga.

The other 17 municipalities supply their own water needs from wells and natural springs, amongst them, Nerja.

On the other hand the Chairman of Axaragua, who is also the Mayor of Iznate, replied that the Junta had not taken into account within its figures that Nerja’s Río Chillar was supposed to supply three hectometres of water, which it still hasn’t because it still does not have enough electricity supply to pump water from Nerja to Torrox. He points out that the Junta promised to have the necessary power in place by April.

He went on to consider that the water pumped from Málaga (at 100 litres per second) is “insufficient and laughable,” as they really need between 300 and 400 litres per second.

Editorial comment: when are these mayors going to get it into their head that it is not a case of finding more water but rather about consuming less. Each year it rains less but more and more arable land is turned over to irrigation. It is utter madness. Another touch of lunacy is putting a politician in charge of an all important utility company – they need professionals at the helm, not vote junkies.

(News: Axarquía, Costa del Sol, Malaga, Andalucia – Photo & info source: Eugenio Cabezas)