Alicia Sanchez Gomez |
Madrid (EFE).- The Spanish will go to the polls on May 28 in a context marked by the drought, which has left Spain with a water reserve of 49.6%, the swamps with less than half the water the one that they are able to store and the serious threats of restrictions for the summer.
According to data from the Ministry for Ecological Transition, the basins most affected by the drought are the Guadalquivir, where the water reserve is at 24.5%; the inmates of Catalonia, which are at 25.4%, and that of Guadalete-Barbate, which stands at 29.1%.
Faced with this extreme situation, some of the autonomous communities most affected by the lack of water have begun to take measures and apply restrictions.
Catalonia
Already on February 28, the Generalitat declared water exceptionality in Catalonia due to the scarcity of water in the reservoirs of the internal basins of the autonomous community.
On April 25, five months earlier than usual, the General Community of Irrigators of the Canals de Urgell, which irrigates more than 70,000 hectares in the Pla de Lleida, closed the gates of the main canal, which will remain closed, and will open only periodically to guarantee the supply of water for supplies and the survival of fruit trees.
This same week, the Catalan Water Agency has proposed to increase from 224 to 495 the municipalities in exceptional water situation.
In this state, the reduction to 40% of the use of water for agricultural uses and 15% for industrial uses, the prohibition of watering green areas and cleaning streets or vehicles with drinking water, the limitation of water for recreational uses or the reduction of the average amount of water per inhabitant each day to 230 litres.
Andalusia
The dammed water in Andalusia is around 28% of its total capacity, which has led the regional government to apply a series of measures to deal with water scarcity.
On April 25, the Governing Council of the Junta approved the third drought decree, through which 163 million euros will be mobilized in order to achieve an extraordinary water supply of 184 cubic hectometres for supply and irrigation.
The controversial bill to regulate irrigation in the northern crown of Doñana is another of the issues that has focused the political debate in the weeks leading up to the May 28 election campaign.
Before the information that its processing in the Andalusian Parliament was being delayed until after the appointment with the polls, sources from the Andalusian Government and the PP have clarified that the “ordinary” route will be followed, within its urgent processing “and They have denied that the process has slowed down, so they place their approval for the month of July.
The drought situation is even affecting traditional acts, such as the Rocío pilgrimage, and the fact is that the Guadalquivir Hydrographic Confederation is studying the request of the Board for the release of water from the Agrio river, a tributary of the Guadiamar, scheduled for the month May coincides with the pilgrims’ crossing at the Quema ford.
The ford, located in Aznalcázar (Seville), is one of the most emblematic rociero transit points of the pilgrimage, where the symbolic baptism of the new pilgrims takes place, and more than 60 brotherhoods are expected to pass through it this year.
Faced with this request, the Minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, has been “surprised” that the Andalusian Government wants to put on “a medal” and has indicated that “it is not a good year for the Board to pronounce itself like this”.
Murcia
In Murcia, there is concern about the impact of the drought on rainfed crops, which is why the regional government announced in April the launch of a “drought observatory” with the aim of obtaining specific data on the situation of these crops and to be able to implement measures that solve each particular case.
The Murcian Executive also announced a line of flexible credits endowed with five million euros for ranchers and farmers affected by the lack of rain and asked the Ministry of Agriculture for exceptional measures to deal with the extreme drought.
Aragon
The volume of water dammed in the reservoirs of the Ebro basin stands at 52.7% of its capacity, according to the latest data from the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation.
On April 26, the confederation declared the Segre basin, which passes through Aragon, Catalonia, Navarra and La Rioja, in an exceptional situation due to extraordinary drought, having been in an emergency for ten months and going through a situation “much worse” than the rest of Basin.
For its part, the Zaragoza City Council has drawn up a contingency plan against drought with four scenarios that include measures such as reducing the pressure of the supply network or reviewing irrigation frequencies to the point of prohibiting the filling of swimming pools without recirculation systems, among others.
Estremadura
In Extremadura, the debate on the demolition of the Valdecaballeros dam has crept into the electoral run-up and a protest rally is scheduled for May 21.
The president of the Junta de Extremadura, Guillermo Fernández Vara, has had a say and has assured that “as of today” he can say “absolutely” that the demolition of the dam will not take place.
cantabria
In the northern regions of Spain, the effects of the drought are also beginning to be felt, such as in Cantabria, where no water restrictions are expected in the coming months, but the regional government has decided to close some stretches to salmon fishing of rivers due to lack of flow.