The Andalusian Regional Government’s Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Carmen Crespo, has highlighted the Andalusian Regional Government’s actions in the province of Malaga in the regional Parliament, and has specifically emphasised the water interconnection between the capital and the Costa del Sol. Carmen Crespo stressed that «it is a fundamental issue because in drought we have to have the points connected in case we have to transfer water urgently from one place to another».
In this regard, Carmen Crespo explained that work has already begun on the Rojas pumping station, a fully reversible project that will provide the province of Malaga with an additional 12 hm³ of water and has a six-month completion period. The Regional Minister of Agriculture has indicated that this action «provides solutions beyond the current drought and allows us to transfer water between the coast on the basis of its needs».
Furthermore, the Councillor for Agriculture gave an account of the state of the works and explained that the San Roque project will be completed in spring, the Rojas pumping station in summer and that all the works up to Axarquia have already been completed. Carmen Crespo stressed that «the Government of the Andalusian Regional Government has been working hard all this time to ensure that, independently of the water motorway, which involves a great many connections, we now have the complete connection to create a motorway that will allow us to bring water from the Campo de Gibraltar to La Axarquía and thus have water in the future».
The Minister of Agriculture also referred to the IV Drought Decree, which was approved yesterday by the regional Parliament, and which will have an investment of 218 million euros. She said that «drought is a drama that we have in our autonomous community and in our country, and the public should know that the Government of Andalusia has been and will be up to the task of meeting the needs of the citizens and that we will do so with this instrument of the 4th Drought Decree».
During her appearance in the Andalusian Parliament, the Andalusian Government’s Head of Agriculture pointed out that these hydraulic works open up a fundamental possibility for the future. Carmen Crespo alluded to the repercussions of these actions in the Campo de Gibraltar «because they will allow agriculture, industry and green hydrogen to have the opportunity to offer an unprecedented economic opportunity».