The drought is surely the biggest challenge that both the central government and the regional and local administrations must face. In Catalonia it has been a major problem for months, and even more since today when the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation has closed the faucet to the Canal d’Urgell, which supplies irrigation water to the regions of Lleida, for the first time in more than 160 years of history. At this point, the Generalitat has blamed the Executive of Pedro Sánchez for the closure, but offered him an agreement to modernize this channel.
The Government spokesperson, PatrÃcia Plaja, has stated that the Catalan Cabinet is willing to urgently sign an agreement to co-finance the modernization of the Canal d’Urgell. The set-up would reach 1,200 million euros. The Generalitat would assume 60% of the cost, while Moncloa should assume 40%. However, Plaja has considered vital a boost from the Ministry of Agriculture through the Perte funds. “They would allow us to advance in a timely manner,” the spokeswoman said in this regard.
“If the Government is not willing to accept this agreement, we will continue working to modernize the Canal, with a budget of 138 million euros that includes eight different projects.
Plaja has assured that the minister of Acció Climà tica, Teresa Jordà , has made “desperate appeals” for months to the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation to take saving and efficiency measures so as not to reach today’s situation.
With the closure of water for irrigation, some 50,000 hectares will lose practically all of what is cultivated. “What has the Government done? We will not point to the culprits regarding the drought, but we urge that good management of the little water that arrives be carried out and that which reaches the Canal d’Urgell is the responsibility of the Spanish Government”, recalled the spokeswoman of the Government. “That he make decisions now, immediately,” she has settled.
“The lack of planning by the Spanish Government today mortgages the future of the Catalan peasantry and all the food it supplies”, insisted PatrÃcia Plaja, this afternoon at the press conference after the meeting of the Consell Executiu.
The Catalan Executive has indicated that it will make a common front with the Canal d’Urgell irrigation community to demand the modernization of irrigation from the Ministry of Agriculture to avoid another such drastic situation.
In Catalonia there are two hydrographic basins: the internal ones are managed by the Generalita, while those of the Ebro are the responsibility of the Spanish Executive. In this last basin, “until today no type of restriction or rational planning of water has been applied,” Plaja complained, “despite the fact that the drought did not start yesterday.” “We have gone from all to nothing,” remarked the spokeswoman.
The Government has reiterated that the modernization of irrigation is a priority issue. Plaja has described irrigation as a “country structure”, and as such it is essential to take measures.
Meanwhile, the Government, after the failure of the water summit a few days ago, continues to meet bilaterally with the parliamentary groups. Today he has done it with Junts, with whom there have been “good feelings”, according to Plaja, to agree on measures.
