It’s hard to get your message across about a drought and water shortages when it is pouring down with rain, as protesters found out today.
However, the fact is that this rain over the last few days, however welcome and longed-for it is, does not solve the problem; the problem, as far as the fruit farmers are concerned, is that water sitting in Rules Reservoir is inaccessible, owing to a lack of long-overdue infrastructure.
Whether the real problem is that there are too many thirsty trees for an encroaching drier climate, is another matter and certainly not contemplated in this protest march.
The protesters, some 200 in number, say that 3,500 trees are in danger of dying, which have 3,000 jobs tied in with them. Starting at the top of town, they wound through the town ending up in the Town Hall Square, despite the rain. Without doubt had it not been raining, fewer would have opted to stay dry at home.
But there is a division with the community as some see this particular gathering as the fruit of one particular opposition party and those adverse to this party have not backed the protest. Many consider that Ex-Mayor, Juan Carlos Benavides is behind two of the associations marching today. On the other hand, the Central Board of Users is closer to the ruling party (PP).
Then there are those that are angry about the political involvement behind what should be a common cause, namely, Francisco García, Vice-Chairman of the Young Farmers of Almuñécar.
So, the problem facing the protest today have been both political and meterologial.
The Chairman of the Green, Dry, Jate AssociationSr. José Luis Ruiz Olivares, said that plans for the Rules distribution infrastructure must be fast tracked because many farmers won’t last the three years envisage without water being pumped down into the water table to keep sea water out.
Editorial comment: we pay politicians, handsomely, to solve our problems, yet many feel they do exactly the opposite – perhaps this is a case in point.
(News: Almunecar, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andaluca)