Beninar water returns to Aguadulce growers after 10 years

Beninar water returns to Aguadulce growers after 10 years

BENINAR PIPELINE: Irrigation assured for 23,200 hectares of agricultural land Photo credit: Junta de Andalucia

AFTER a 10-year wait, Aguadulce growers can once again use water from the Beninar reservoir.

A 1.5-kilometre pipeline now substitutes the section of the Beninar-Aguadulce canal that was damaged during a period of torrential rain in 2010.

 Carmen Crespo, head of the Junta’s department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development,  recently inaugurated the €5.5 million pipeline where work first began in December 2020.

“This guarantees water for the Poniente growers belonging to the Junta Central de Usuarios del Poniente Almeriense who irrigate and cultivate 23,200 hectares of land,” Crespo said.

Work has included reinforcing the pipeline and its surroundings to protect against future flood situations, she added.

The Beninar-Aguadulce project was included in the €166 million that the Junta de Andalucia has spent on providing and ensuring water for Almeria province since the regional elections of 2019, Crespo said.

“The drought decree that the regional parliament approved on April 6 has authorised a further €12.3 million allocation that will provide Almeria province with enough infrastructure to guarantee its water,” she said.

This includes five new projects in addition to those already begun to assure the Almanzora Valley’s water supply, Crespo added.

Written by

Linda Hall

Originally from the UK, Linda is based in Valenca and is a reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering local news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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