Asaja Castilla-La Mancha has registered its allegations to the Provisional Schemes of Important Topics of the main river basins of the region, within the fourth hydrological planning cycle (2028-2033), with the intention of ensuring sufficient water resources for farmers and ranchers.
Along these lines, the president of the agricultural organization, José María Fresneda, has emphasized that its proposals "highlight the need for the different basin plans to incorporate a more balanced vision between environmental protection and the economic and social viability of irrigation."
Globally, Fresneda demands "planning based on rigorous technical criteria, adapted to the productive reality of each territory and aimed at guaranteeing the water security of the agricultural and livestock sector through investments, modernization of infrastructures, and efficient management of available resources."
Asaja C-LM, through a statement, has emphasized that field professionals are the most interested in responsible water use and has firmly rejected that the effort of the transition falls almost exclusively on the primary sector, while other consumptions remain protected from restrictions and the Administration does not fulfill its investment commitments in hydraulic works.
Likewise, the agricultural organization considers it essential that hydrological planning "effectively recognizes the priority of the donor basin in the allocation and management of water resources, guaranteeing the necessary water for its farmers and territories before allocating resources to other uses."
"The Plan must recognize irrigation as a strategic asset, both economically and socially, and for food sovereignty," has emphasized Fresneda, who demands that the countryside be taken into account and have real participation in the decisions and planning that directly condition its future.
"The water problem already goes beyond any political or partisan debate; it is above all those discussions that are generated." For this reason, the president of Asaja C-LM has reiterated his request that "the Government of Castilla-La Mancha lead a common position with all social, economic, and political agents to defend it with a single voice wherever necessary, in Brussels, in Madrid, or wherever appropriate."
Main allegations by basin
In the Tajo basin, among the most relevant allegations, Asaja C-LM proposes the connection between the Sorbe river system and the Alcorlo reservoir, the promotion of irrigation modernization in areas such as the Henares Canal, the Real Acequia del Jarama or the Alberche, as well as the execution of infrastructures for aquifer recharge and the review of groundwater exploitation indices.
Regarding the Guadiana, the organization defends the maintenance of the Alto Guadiana Special Plan and a methodological review of the diagnosis of the state of water bodies. It also demands that the costs of urban wastewater treatment not be transferred to irrigation and expresses its rejection of agricultural and livestock nutrients being classified as waste in vulnerable areas.
In the Júcar basin, Asaja C-LM emphasizes the urgency of consolidating existing irrigation, completing pending works for the replacement of pumping stations, and ensuring the continuity of the Mancha Oriental system. In the Segura, the allegations focus on supporting the sustainability of irrigation in southeastern Albacete.
Finally, in the Guadalquivir demarcation, the organization calls for the immediate execution of regulation infrastructures on the Guadalén river and the construction of the Castillo de Montizón weir, considered key to reinforcing the water security of Campo de Montiel.