The GPP senator for Almería, Miguel Ángel Castellón, calls on Minister Ribera to stop lying and resume repairs to the Bajo Almanzora desalination plant as soon as possible.
Thus, the Popular Party’s Energy spokesperson recalls some of the Government’s failed promises: «in 2019 they promised to finish the works in 2021. In 2021 they sold it in the General State Budget, they did it again in 2022 and also in 2023. They lied, lied and lied. The works were not done,» denounces the senator from Tijol.
“Last year, you promised Almería irrigators that the desalination plant would be operational in 2024. It’s September, Madam Minister: you have lied again.”
For this reason, Miguel Ángel Castellón asks the Minister for Ecological Transition if she believes that it is an example of good management that, six years after her appointment, she has been unable to begin the repair work on the Bajo Almanzora desalination plant.
Popular has expressed its surprise at recently learning that the project is “still” under supervision, “so in the best case scenario there will not be a desalination plant until 2026.”
He also criticised Ribera for having been “incapable in six years of modernising the Carboneras desalination plant, which would have meant lowering the price of water”, while recalling that the facility stopped working this summer.
In this regard, the senator for Almería criticizes the minister for having invested only 14% of the planned amount in water in the province in five years.
THE DESALINATION PLANT WAS BUILT IN A FLOOD PRONE ZONE
After denouncing Ribera’s unfulfilled promises, the PP’s Energy spokesman recalled that the desalination plant was built in 2011 in a flood-prone area and, precisely one year after its construction, it was destroyed by a flood.
Castellón also said that for five years the State’s legal services prevented repair work from being carried out due to a possible criminal prejudiciality. In 2017 the legal services gave the green light and Mariano Rajoy’s government budgeted 5 million to start the works.
“A few months later, through a vote of no confidence, Ribera was appointed minister responsible for water policy. And that was more than six years ago,” he points out.
Before concluding, Miguel Ángel Castellón recommended that the minister, in her new role, resemble Loyola de Palacio more and Pedro Sánchez less.