Soltalk November 2022 | Page 18

News
Cultural asset

Drought exacerbated by water loss

The regional government last month formally announced its intention to declare a Nerja church to be an asset of cultural interest . The Junta de Andalucía says that the 18th century Nuestra Señora de las Angustias chapel in the town centre has architectural , historical-artistic and ethnological importance . Assuming no objections to the proposal are received , the new status of the building will be confirmed shortly .
More training
Two new training courses have been launched by Vélez-Málaga Town Hall to meet the demand generated by two booming business sectors . Thirty students will learn how to pilot drones , or how to cut the traditional Axarquía hams , with priority given to unemployed jobseekers . The initiative is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund .
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup comes to Málaga ’ s Martin Carpena Sports Stadium between November 22 and 27 . This Rakuten Finals knock-out stage is the first time the Davis Cup finals have come to Andalucía since 2003 and will feature the eight countries which remain in the tournament . Spain ’ s quarter-final against Croatia is scheduled for 4.00pm on November 23 with US Open winner Carlos Alcaraz from Murcia expected to be in the national team .
The level of water in the reservoir at La Viñuela had fallen to 9.9 per cent of capacity in the middle of last month as “ worrying ” water losses were revealed . However , the regional government has assured the Axarquía area that supplies are guaranteed this winter , even if there is little rain in the coming weeks , and has banned farmers from using water from the reservoir for irrigation .
Andalucía ’ s regional government has now promised to fund 43.2 per cent of investments made in the public water supply network by the province of Málaga , bringing its total contribution to around € 60 million .
Iznate last month imposed water restrictions on residents . The town hall is to seeking savings of 20 per cent by banning the use of drinking water for cleaning streets , watering gardens , washing cars and filling swimming pools . Elsewhere , a number of town halls including Alcaucín , Periana and La Viñuela have cut local water supplies overnight
As the drought continues , the volume of water lost through leaks and fraudulent use is “ worrying ” according to Málaga ’ s provinical government , the Diputación . The authority ’ s president , Francisco Salado , told a press conference last month that seven cubic hectometres ( seven billion litres ) lost in a year would be enough to supply 90,000 households for 12 months .
The figures were revealed as a series of inspections is continuing to determine where the network of supply pipes needs repairs . Sr Salado said there are 800 kilometres of pipes supplying 77 small municipalities , of which around two-thirds have been checked so far .
While leaks had been detected in most places , he said , there was a significant loss of water overnight when as much as 50 per cent of stored supplies disappeared . “ This means ,” he said , “ that pipes are losing water and not necessarily through leaks because people could also be using water fraudulently .” From data available so far , he added , night time losses are running at 19,450 cubic metres per day , equal to seven cubic hectometres per year .
Sr Salado warned that the province cannot continue to allow such inefficiencies and urged local councils to upgrade their network of supply pipes as a matter of urgency . “ There is no point in building new wells and water deposits , plus transferring water from one place to another , if we are losing so much at the same time ,” he said .
Ceiling collapse
Part of the false plaster ceiling in El Trapiche ’ s San Isidro church collapsed during the afternoon of October 20 . No-one was injured in the incident . The building is owned by the Bishopric which is responsible for its maintenance , although authorities in both El Trapiche and Vélez-Málaga have offered assistance with the repairs .
Car gang
Five people have been arrested in the El Palo district of Málaga suspected of at least 30 thefts of catalytic converters from vehicles in the city . The metals used in these components are highly valued on the black market . The gang is believed to be composed of Romanian nationals who managed to achieve all the offences within the space of one week .
New leader
The socialist PSOE party in Nerja has chosen Patricia Gutiérrez to lead it into the local elections scheduled for next May . She narrowly won a second vote of local members after she and former councillor Gabriel Broncano tied in an initial round . The new leader has been the socialists ’ local spokesperson and secretary general .
Nerja fire
A countryside fire in the Colmenarejo area east of Nerja on October 17 was successfully contained by firefighters . Three helicopters and two other aircraft supported 100 workers on the ground after the alarm was raised at 3.45pm . The blaze was declared to be under control by 7.00pm .
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