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Nuria Triguero
Malaga
Friday, 15 November 2024, 12:43
The latest 'Dana' storm which ripped through Malaga province on Wednesday 13 November has left a trail of destruction in its wake, significantly affecting agriculture and livestock in specific areas. Agricultural employers' association Asaja is assessing the preliminary damage and is focusing on rural areas of the Axarquía and the Guadalhorce valley, where torrential rains and overflowing rivers have "devastated" crops and irrigation systems. Losses and problems in the supply of drinking water and power cuts are further aggravating the situation, according to the association.
From La Zubia and the Benamargosa riverbed, which has experienced significant flooding, damage to water pipes, installations and irrigation huts is preventing the supply of irrigation in the short term. Asaja reports that the lemon and avocado crops have suffered heavy losses, which have not yet been definitively assessed, while the uprooting of trees and the accumulation of mud on the farms are complicating the recovery of the land.
The situation in Vélez-Málaga is "equally alarming", with the entire area of La Vega, stretching from Benamocarra to the mouth of the river, affected on both banks. Avocado plantations, the predominant crop in the area, have been flooded and there is a risk of permanent damage. Livestock facilities have also suffered the impact of the flooding, and plots of cabbage, lettuce and land for the forthcoming potato planting are flooded. In addition, areas such as the mouth of La Vega have been completely flooded. It is estimated that more than 1,000 hectares in this area have been affected, with areas still to be assessed.
Meanwhile in Campanillas the river burst its banks at Cupiana, with accumulations of up to 140mm in just five hours. Farms near Cártama, Campanillas and Alhaurín de la Torre have suffered damage from the torrential rains, with gravel accumulating in the streams and bridges in the area being destroyed. In Alhaurín Torre, where up to 100 litres of rain and hail were recorded, crops have again been affected by flooding, as well as the loss of irrigation systems. In this area of the Guadalhorce valley the damage is concentrated in infrastructures and plots of land where it rained on areas that were already still wet from the previous Dana, so the damage is multiplied. Hail damage has yet to be assessed in the two affected districts.
Asaja has said that if a timely cleaning of the riverbeds had been carried out, this damage "would have been much less". The association went on to say, "We reiterate our request for the inclusion of the municipalities affected by the first Dana in Royal Decrees 6/2024 and 7/2024, as well as requesting that those affected by this second one be taken into account in future communications."
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