The Regional Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Carmen Crespo, has condemned the decision taken by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge to eliminate the transfer of water from the Tagus-Segura Transfer for irrigation in the eastern Spanish region, by establishing only 7.5 cubic hectometres of the 20 hectometres established in the Aqueduct Exploitation Commission. In other words, water will only be transferred for supply purposes.
In the Councillor’s opinion, she explains that “this is an “absolutely arbitrary” decision by the Minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, which goes “against sustainable agriculture and against three autonomous communities. Once again, a criterion has been imposed “ignoring and disregarding the recommendations of the technicians of the Commission for the Exploitation of the Tagus-Segura Aqueduct, who had proposed maintaining the transfers at the established levels”. It is for this reason that “we ask for the immediate rectification of the zero transfer that they are trying to impose and urgently restore the technical proposal and what the legislation determines”. If this is not done, “the sustainability of 23,000 hectares of crops in eastern Almería, which depend directly on this water transfer, is being jeopardised”.
The Andalusian Minister also demands that the central government “explain the reason for this decision, which is not in accordance with the technical report and is yet another attack at a difficult time of drought and high inflation”. It is undoubtedly a measure that is “both incomprehensible and unjustified, which will be an insult to the farmers in the eastern Almeria region who need this water to grow their crops”.
Finally, the Minister announced that “Andalusia will defend the maintenance of these water resources for the irrigators of eastern Almeria, by all means at its disposal, and as it has done in the face of every aggression, the interests of the Community and all its inhabitants against the continuous attacks of Pedro Sánchez and his Government, We ask them to stop using sectarian politics and to listen to what the technicians say, who indicate in a scientific and objective way what volume of water should be transferred each month, and what is established by law”, he explained.