San Sebastián (EFE).- A group of caving enthusiasts denounces damage to the Lezetxiki cave caused by the construction works of the High Speed Train (TAV).
However, the Department of Culture of the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council has denied that there has been “destruction” at the Lezetxiki archaeological site, located in Arrasate (Gipuzkoa), due to the high-speed train works.
The regional institution has ensured that the place through which one of the tunnels of this infrastructure runs is located at the opposite end of the cave.
The foral entity has released a statement after the “commotion” generated by the complaint by a group of caving enthusiasts, who have stated that one of the TAV tunnels has been built inside a gallery of the Lezetxiki cave .
The site found in this cave was declared a Special Protection Cultural Asset last year with the category of Archaeological Zone by the Basque Government.
The aforementioned group, made up of caving enthusiasts from Arrasate and its surroundings, which is called Lezetxiki Lagunak, denounces damage to the Lezetxiki cave in a statement, which is accompanied by photos and a video.
In the images you can see the outer cover of the tunnel through the cavities inside a cave.
Sources of the archaeological investigation of this site have specified to EFE that, at the expense of a visit to control the situation, the works have only affected parts of the Leibar gallery, but not the “greatest potential” perimeter of Lezetxiki.
The Lezetxiki deposit is not affected
The Provincial Council, for its part, explained that the images of these speleologists were taken “at one end of the Leibar-Leizetxiki system of cavities”, which has “a development of several kilometers of galleries”.
“One of the edges was affected some time ago by the works of a TAV tunnel, whose execution was adjusted to the work project approved at the time.”
“The archaeological site, however, is located at a good distance from that point, just at the opposite end, without having been affected by the denounced works,” underlines the Provincial Council.
After Lezetxiki Lagunak’s complaint was made public, the collective against the TAV, AHT Gelditu, released another note, in which it stated that “destruction has names and surnames”. This group cited “those in the construction lobby, the political class that supports it and the banks that finance it.”
EH Bildu has reacted shortly after the Diputación “alarmed by the destruction caused by the works of the TAV”. He believes that “the damage may be irreparable” to the archaeological site and for this reason he has asked the Spanish and Basque governments for “explanations”.
parliamentary initiative
He says that the Minister of Transport, Raquel Sánchez, “will have to clarify in Congress what has happened”, since in that section of Arrasate the TAV works are the responsibility of the infrastructure operator Adif, dependent on his Ministry.
The Abertzale coalition also wants the Basque Government to transfer to Parliament “all the information it has in relation to the damage caused by the TAV works.” It also asks you to clarify if the damage reaches the spaces protected by your own Department of Culture
