Madrid (EFE) autonomies involved.
In this way, the Government’s proposal contemplates that the ecological flow as it passes through Aranjuez (Madrid) rises to six to seven cubic meters per second from January 1, 2023, to eight from 2026 and that rise to 8.65 in 2027.
The Council of Ministers has approved this Tuesday the Royal Decree that contemplates the hydrological planning of the Western Cantabrian, Guadalquivir, Ceuta, Melilla, Segura, Júcar, in addition to the Spanish part of the rivers shared with Portugal (Miño-Sil, Duero, Tagus, Guadiana) and with France (Eastern Cantabrian and Ebro).
The Minister for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, has indicated that with these hydrological plans they cover 86% of the national territory, affect 65% of the population and have an investment of 22,844 million, of which just over 10,000 million are from state investment.
“Never ever” have so many resources been allocated in Spain for investment and management in water, the minister emphasized.
The third vice president of the Government, Teresa Ribera, added that “we have read very carefully” the “recommendations, not essential observations” of the State Council report on basin plans and “yes, the technical criteria have been followed” at the time to determine the ecological flow for the Tagus.
The Levantine irrigators will go to Justice so that the Tajo-Segura remains “as it is”
The irrigators of the Spanish Levante have demonstrated this Tuesday in front of the Palacio de la Moncloa to show their disagreement with the reduction in the flow of the Tajo-Segura transfer that contemplates the new hydrological plans, and have affirmed that they will resort to Justice so that the situation continues “how is”.
“We are not going to stop. We are already preparing a contentious administrative appeal (to refer to the Supreme Court) because nothing is worth anything to us other than leaving things as they are,” Lucas Jiménez, the president of the conveners of this demonstration, the Central Union of Irrigators, told Efe. Tagus-Segura (Scrats).
Around 130 people attended the call -according to data from the Government Delegation- and some 500 -according to the organizers-, who have raised their voices with shouts of “water for the Levante!” and that they have called for the resignation of the Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge of Spain, Teresa Ribera, promoter of this royal decree.
It has been the last attempt by irrigators in the Levante area to be heard and prevent the Council of Ministers from approving the royal decree that reviews the hydrological plans, which includes an ecological flow in the Tagus that affects the transfer with the Segura.
In this way, the flow of the Tagus will have to rise progressively as it passes through Aranjuez (Madrid): from six to seven cubic meters per second in 2023, to eight in 2026 and to 8.65 in 2027.
This increase will lead to a predictable decrease in the water to be transferred to the Levant, which will seriously affect the economy of these areas in general and the primary sector in particular, according to complaints from irrigators, businessmen, institutions and local political forces from the Valencian Community, Murcia and Andalusia.
