Even if it is a subject on which Galicia has been “working for some time”, the threat posed by floods after the various episodes which have hit a good part of the country in recent weeks is now more present than ever, and in response, the region The Executive has advanced today, after the Council meeting, its lines of action, future and already in progress, to prevent the overflowing of rivers and, if this is inevitable, minimize its damage. Thus, after updating the Inungal plan last month and doubling this year the stations located along the rivers to send information on their flow (nearly 100), the Xunta announced a series of legislative measures aimed at facilitating the maintenance of these areas and actions where necessary, as well as two innovative actions aimed at minimizing the impact of torrential rains, such as controlled flood zones or green river corridors.
Something “fundamental” to solve this problem is “prevention”, which, as the councilor pointed out, must pass, yes or yes, by cleaning the rivers. The Xunta, he explained, which has jurisdiction over the Galicia-Costa basin, was responsible for cleaning around 500 kilometers of river, although it is true, he recalled, that the Community has, at total, 25,000 km. To facilitate their maintenance, three legislative measures have been approved which aim to ensure the proper maintenance of these areas. The first, said Vázquez, is the extension of the responsible declaration to municipalities and individuals, which is simpler than requesting authorization, to proceed with the felling of trees (up to 35%), pruning or removing objects from rivers.
The second is aimed at owners of a certain type of work in an easement zone which is either not authorized or obstructs the passage. They are, he explained, responsible for expelling them in case the Xunta detects that they present a certain type of risk, and if they do not do so, he recalled, they expose themselves to coercive fines. But now also, taking into account that “security” comes first, it will be the Xunta, through Augas de Galicia, which will carry out the corresponding works.
The third and last implies that when the Autonomous Administration deems it necessary to carry out works in a risk area, always certified by Augas de Galicia, it will not have to request any type of prior sectoral report. In this way, the greater public interest in defending the health and safety of people will weigh more heavily, thus preventing the projects concerned from being paralyzed.
And in addition to the legislative measures, Vázquez also spoke of another series of actions that will be carried out in this area, such as dissemination plans in schools and communication campaigns. Likewise, as a novelty, the so-called Green River Corridors will be created, which, with a budget of one million euros, will consist of the planting of riparian vegetation to reduce the potential risk of flooding in sensitive areas . But it is not the only one, since the Executive also announced this Monday that it was committing to another measure as relevant as controlled flooding zones, which will allow large quantities of water to be retained in a manner controlled during episodes of very intense precipitation to avoid damage in other areas. This month, for its part, the recently submitted hazard map will be ready, he said.
