There is a protest organised for the 27th of this month in defence of coastal infrastructure (or lack of it) in Plaza de la Aurora in Motril at 19.00h.
The protest has been organised by the business sector and mayors of municipalities belonging to the comarca of Costa Tropical, with the hope of such a massive turn out that administrations cannot continue to ignore the pressing need on the Granadinian coast; i.e. water (Rules Reservoir) coastal defences (groynes and breakaters) and a rail connection between Motril and Granada city.
Even though the Central Government has promised to begin work next year on the water-distribution from the Embalse de Rules to where it is needed and the missing coastal defences, the organisers feel that the people of Costa Tropical cannot sit back but must keep up the pressure.
The entities backing the protest and who form part of organising Plataforma por las Infraestructuras are:
Aecost
Cámara de Comercio de Motril
Ecohal
La asociación de chiringuitos,
La Comunidad General de Regantes del Bajo Guadalfeo
La Junta Central de Usuarios-Rios Verde, Seco y Jate
The Chairman of Aecost, Javier Rubiño, also called upon political parties to forget their differences, political ideologies and accusations or blame casting amongst themselves and be present on the day. He also calls upon shops and businesses to pull down their shutters in symbolic support when the protest march passes.
The protesters will leave Plaza de La Aurora, (heading in the direction of the Matadero Viejo) and passing along Calle Bustamante Calle Gaspar Esteva and conclude in the Plaza de España.
Although the Central Government earmarked nearly a million euros for the dam infrastructure and another 104m euros between 2024 and 2026, many on the coast of those involved in the organisation of the protest simply do not trust the Government’s word because of previous failed pledges.
“We will have to wait another 16 years before the whole water-distribution network is completed at this rate,” pointed out the Chairman of Ecohal, Alfonso Zamora to which the Aecost Chairman added, “We’re going to lose 70% of crop production and 25% of related jobs this year because of the drought.”
So what of our politicians? Well, the Chairwoman of the Mancomunidad de Municipios de la Costa (who is also Mayor of Albuñol) María José Sánchez, the Mayor of Motril, Luisa García Chamorro, the Mayor of Vélez de Benaudalla, Francisco Gutiérrez, the Chairman of the Port Authorities, José García Fuentes, the Mayor of Salobreña, María Eugenia Rufino, have all stated that they will attend – there is a mixture of PP and PSOE heads there.
The Mayor of Motril has also asked the Junta de Andalucía to clarify what is their roll in the funding of the reservoir system. She said that she had had a meeting with a Junta representative and now only asks that they tell the truth concerning what percentage of funding the Junta is providing – bear in mind that the Junta is run by her own party. She said, “we are gambling our future and cannot be at the mercy of the political jockeying for position.”
(News: Motril, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia