The Junta de Extremadura has described the statements made by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Provincial Council of Cáceres regarding mountain irrigation in the north of the province as "irresponsible," considering that they "prioritize political interests over the safety of citizens."
In a statement, the regional Executive responds to the Secretary of State for Agriculture and Food, Begoña García Bernal, recalling that the current irrigation project for the Jerte Valley does not yet have authorization, due to the technical reports from Civil Protection warning of "risk to people's lives in the event of infrastructure failure."
The Junta points out that, in various meetings, it has requested the irrigation communities of the Jerte Valley to present alternative proposals to the irrigation modernization plan, since, in its current formulation, it could "endanger the lives of people who might be in the gorges if there were a rupture or malfunction of the infrastructure."
According to the technical resolutions issued by the General Secretariat of the Interior, Emergencies and Civil Protection, "the project presents a significant vulnerability, classified as very high, against risks derived from a possible rupture or malfunction of the infrastructure."
"This classification is based on the fact that it presents a high risk due to the existence of vulnerable elements, due to the impact on the bathing areas of the gorges, with a high probability of people being present during the summer season," these reports state.
Consequently, the Junta insists that this infrastructure could "endanger the lives" of those bathing in the gorges of the Jerte Valley if a rupture or similar incident occurred in the irrigation system.
For this reason, the regional government states that it has acted "with responsibility and common sense," demanding solutions from the irrigation communities that prevent water from flowing into the gorges. "Until then, a favorable DIA could not be issued nor could the project be financed because it is a priority to put people's lives and safety first," it asserted.
The Junta states that it finds it incomprehensible that the Ministry of Agriculture, after the "extremely serious events and loss of human lives that have occurred due to floods," is now proposing that the DIA be issued "urgently without addressing the gravity of the situation."
"Either Minister Luis Planas is totally unaware of the technical reports or his irresponsibility is manifest, urging the Junta to authorize a project that could put people's lives at risk," the regional government has stressed.
Regarding the La Fragua project, the Junta explains that it has recently met with the irrigators, as part of the irrigation area still lacks a regularized concession, a process that is being addressed with the Tajo Hydrographic Confederation.
"Until this regularization is in place, the DIA cannot be granted. Furthermore, alternatives are also being sought jointly with them, as one of the reservoirs would be located on public land and would involve the uprooting of hundreds of holm oaks," it pointed out.
In this context, the Junta calls on the Ministry of Agriculture and the Provincial Council of Cáceres for "responsibility and rigor," lamenting that "public servants are prioritizing partisan interests over people's lives."
For the regional government, public officials must adhere to "compliance with legality, with regulatory procedures, and even more so when trying to avoid risks to citizens' lives."
"The Junta de Extremadura is fully aware of the importance and necessity of this irrigation project and the importance of the primary sector in the Jerte Valley, and therefore, it is working hand in hand with the irrigators, but it will never prioritize any project over human safety and lives. When viable alternatives are definitive, their technical study and Environmental Impact Assessment will proceed," it stressed.