News
New priest
La Viñuela water storage “ dead ”
Nerja and Maro welcomed their new parish priest last month . Antonio Jesús Carrasco ( pictured above with Nerja ’ s mayor José Alberto Armijo ) was born in Álora , and since his ordination in 2000 , has served in Arriate , Ronda , Marbella , Ojén and the city of Málaga . He took up his office on September 9 , succeeding Father Petre Chelaru .
Gold statue
A statue in the centre of Vélez-Málaga was found to have been painted gold on the morning of September 23 . Municipal workmen quickly cleaned the bronze figure of the writer Miguel de Cervantes , best known for his novel Don Quixote , back to its original state . However , the incident opened a debate on social media over whether the painting was an act of vandalism as the Town Hall claimed , or instead a new artistic intervention .
Hostal attack
Nerja police were trying to trace a man believed to be responsible for an attack on a 33-year-old Swedish man . The incident in a hostal in the town ’ s calle Pintada on September 23 left the victim with cuts inflicted with a broken bottle . Investigators say the suspect could be of North African origin .
Taxi protests
Taxi drivers on the Costa del Sol staged a two-hour stoppage on September 22 , affecting mainly Málaga airport and local railway stations . They are unhappy about private hire companies such as Uber being permitted to operate within towns from October 1 , and planned further action . Until now , such operators have only been permitted to pick up passengers travelling from one town to another .
The reservoir at La Viñuela had fallen to 10.85 per cent of its capacity in the middle of September , but water supply company Axaragua continues to guarantee supplies for human consumption . Technically , the reservoir is now regarded as “ dead ,” a stage prior to drying up completely if autumn rains fail to materialise .
By the end of the hydrological year last month , the Axarquía area had had its driest 12 months for decades , and the province of Málaga had its seventh lowest rainfall ever , as recorded by the State Meteorological Agency ( AEMET ). The prediction for the coming months is that it will continue to be drier than usual .
Emergency measures are already underway , including severe cuts to the volume of water which can be used for irrigating crops . At least one town has already introduced a “ dry law ” and is supplying drinking water in tankers . Three local wells have dried up in
Comares where car washing , filling swimming pools and flushing the streets clean have all been banned .
The Minister of Agriculture , Fisheries , Water and Rural Development of the Junta de Andalucía , Carmen Crespo , has issued an assurance that the Axarquía now receives an extra 12 cubic hectometres of water for consumption and 10.5 for irrigation thanks to regional projects and initiatives . However , the level of water at La Viñuela continues to drop month after month .
Meanwhile , the regional government has received a commitment from central government to support plans to upgrade water resources in Andalucía . In Madrid last month , the case was put to promote facilities for desalination , purification , supply and in smaller municipalities , to purify their waters and to prevent leakages . Amongst the projects under consideration is a new desalination plant in the Axarquía .
Late festive switch-on
The city of Málaga is reported to be spending € 1.5 million on its spectacular Christmas lights display this year , but city councillors and traders are unhappy after the announcement that the display will be switched on later than usual .
The Junta de Andalucía said last month that the start of Christmas displays across the region would be on December 8 , about three weeks later than in previous years . The regional government made the move as part of its present initiative to save energy and reduce light pollution .
It also stated that festive decorations should ideally be restricted to the period from December 22 to January 6 . However , it added that councils can switch them on earlier but not before December 8 . It also called for the
lights to be switched off overnight on most dates . Málaga ’ s councillor for festivals , Theresa Porras , says the decision will not be good for local businesses because people visit the city to see the lights , often around the two public holidays on December 6 and 8 . “ It would be bad for employment , retail and the hospitality sector ,” she added . However , she stressed that the restrictions should apply nationwide , and not just in Andalucía .
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