Junta considers bringing drought management committee meeting forward to make water allocations more flexible

The regional government's delegate for Malaga has given assurances that, as of next week, the status of the province's reservoirs will be assessed with a view to increasing the resources for the population and agricultural irrigation

Eugenio Cabezas

Benamargosa

Friday, 22 November 2024, 15:27

The abundant rainfall so far this hydrological year between October and November has allowed the seven reservoirs in Malaga province to gain 75 million cubic metres, which means that they are now at 27.8% of their capacity, a total of 170 million cubic metres compared to the 111 they had just a year ago. The quantity of water captured is identical to what they had after the plentiful rainfall of last Easter, which made it possible to face the summer with a somewhat more guaranteed supply than expected for both the population and the land.

Against this backdrop there was just one question that had to be put to Patricia Navarro, the regional government's provincial delegate for Malaga, on her visit to Benamargosa on Thursday this week: is the Junta going to make water allocations to municipalities and the agriculture industry more flexible? She responded with a certain amount of caution. The most she would commit herself to was to say they would "assess and study" whether the Junta's drought management committee for Malaga province, initially scheduled for January, should be brought forward to December.

"From next week we will have a much more settled and real picture of the situation with the reservoirs and, from there, the technical experts will take the appropriate measures," stated Navarro. In any case, she looked pleased and expressed her "joy" at the "spectacular" improvements in the reservoirs such as La Viñuela, which has gained more than 10 million cubic metres thanks to the latest heavy rains and which already has three times the reserves it had a year ago.

Regardless of whether the meeting will be brought forward, Navarro told SUR that they will continue to "work and invest" in the necessary water infrastructure to allow the use of more reclaimed water in agriculture in the Axarquia. Also that the Junta will continue to demand the construction of the desalination plant in the eastern part of Malaga province, which has been committed to by central government since May 2023.

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