The abysmal difference in water reserves between the basin of Block and the Onwith the two reservoirs that supply transfers at levels that quadruple those of the southeast of the peninsula, is maintained and increased, but of the Junta de Castilla-La Mancha which presides Emiliano García-Page They once again put pressure on the government to turn off the tap: “There is not enough water.”
Both the Fuensanta reservoir – at 6.6% of its capacity – and without change last week – and the Cenajo reservoir (10.9% and one hectometer less) continue to find themselves in the most dramatic situation of all Spain “in terms of context dead», with the demarcation of Segura at 15.7% globally. Opposite, in the Tagus, they are at 55.2% and, more precisely, one of the two reservoirs that supply the transfer aqueduct (Entrepeñas), even better, at 60.5% of its maximum possible (without variation in the last seven days), and the others (Buendía), at 30.3% and with two cubic hectometers of increase during this period. Both double their average for the decade and exceed the 1,000 hm3 mark, while the minimum threshold for water transfers is 400.
Despite this diametrically opposed reality according to the statistics updated last Monday October 7, in the official data of the Ministry, the Minister of Sustainable Development of Castile-La Mancha, Mercedes Gomezemphasized once again this Wednesday in the message reiterated by its president García-Page: “All citizens who live around the Tagus basin have the same right and the same requirement to be able to use this rare resource and if surplusthat No “That’s the case, let him go where he needs to go.”
And he also insisted that the government has not yet changed the rules for operating transfers, another of the hopes of the leaders of Castilla-La Mancha to turn off the tap.
SOS from the field
Beyond these differences between data and political assessments, the current situation of lack of rain and irrigation restrictions has an impact on crops in the Valencian Community, where The union Llauradora i Ramadera asked the Ministry of Agriculture to develop THE urgent measures launched through the 17 million euro aid plan, to “give priority to its application to professionals in the agricultural sector who depend on this activity for their livelihood and who have not been considered beneficiaries” of this measure emergency from the Regional Executive of Carlos Mazón.
This aid, which initially responded to the consequences of the war conflict in Ukraine and the situation in prolonged droughtmust now be adjusted to include sectors initially excluded and which have been seriously affected by the current situation of emergencythey argue.
Concretely, La Unió requests that they be included in aid for crops of vineyard And dried fruit arid land in the Utiel-Requena region. Although these crops are classified as “irrigated” because they have a minimum water supply, in practice they operate as rainfed crops due to the limited amounts of water available, which only supports irrigation and not to support irrigation. increase or maintain production.
In addition, you are asked to adhere to the beekeeping sectorwhich suffered the direct impact of drought due to the lack of blooms in spring and summer. This has increased the costs of feeding bees, seriously affecting the economic viability of farms. Many affected people “have maintained hives in the Valencian Community, contributing to biodiversity and the pollination of crops”, despite these difficulties.
Likewise, they asked the Ministry of Agriculture which complement THE regional aid of the Generalitat, since current measures “are insufficient to mitigate the devastating effects of drought and conflict In Ukraine“. Sectors such as rainfed crops and extensive livestock breeding have recorded significant production declines for more than three years, which compromises their sustainability.
The declaration of extraordinary drought by the Hydrographic Confederations of Segura and Júcar “reflects the seriousness of the current situation and the impact it can have on the economic viability of many agricultural operations in the Valencian Community, especially in areas of risk of depopulation“. In addition, according to him, “the absence of energetic measures could discourage the integration of young people into the agricultural sector, necessary in interior areas, with the risk of depopulation.”
