2023-11-01 00:49:44
The Government has declared the entry into a state of emergency due to the drought in Vallirana, province of Barcelona, at the request of the city council itself, which will mean limits on water consumption to 200 liters per inhabitant per day on average.
200 liters per inhabitant per day on average
In a press conference this Tuesday after the meeting of the Interdepartmental Drought Commission, the director of the Catalan Water Agency (ACA), Samuel Reyes, assured that Vallirana “has had many difficulties in recent months” due to the drought, and that his emergency entry will be published in the Official Journal of the Generalitat of Catalonia (Dogc) next week.
With Vallirana, there are already 37 municipalities in this situation in Catalonia.
23 municipalities in the counties of Berguedà, Solsonès and Ripollès (Barcelona) have been declared exceptional.
He has pointed out that, with Vallirana, there are already 37 municipalities in this situation in Catalonia.
“Extremely worrying”
23 municipalities in the counties of Berguedà, Solsonès and Ripollès (Barcelona) have also been declared exceptional, which will affect a population of 15,000 inhabitants, with a water supply of 230 liters per inhabitant per day.
Government spokesperson, Patrícia Plajahas assured that the water situation in Catalonia in the coming weeks and months is “extremely worrying.”
The rain episodes of the last two weeks “have not led to an increase in the volume” of the internal basins of Catalonia.
The most likely scenario is that a “many of the municipalities of Catalonia will enter the emergency phase in the coming weeks”
In this sense, he has pointed out that the rain episodes of the last two weeks “have not led to an increase in the volume” of the internal basins of Catalonia, despite some specific increase as in the Ebro basinbut more frequent episodes of rain are necessary.
Plaja has called to work for reduce water consumption in the absence of rain and believes that the most likely thing is that “the emergency phase will enter a good part of the municipalities of Catalonia in the coming weeks.”
Three-year drought and the most intense in the last 100 years
Reyes recalled that the drought in Catalonia has been occurring for three years, that the Drought Plan tries to guarantee supplies to the population but If this situation continues for “the fourth or fifth consecutive year, there may be a reduction in pressures and cutsalthough he emphasizes that it is difficult to predict.
“The drought of the last three years is the hardest we have suffered in Catalonia since we have rainfall data and the most intense in the last 100 years,” he highlighted.
Reservoirs in the internal Catalan basins are currently at 19% of their capacity
Regarding the sanctioning regime for municipalities for their water consumption, Reyes has stated that they already have the data related to September consumption, and that there are “250 municipalities and about 40 companies” above the permitted amounts.
They already have the data related to September consumption, and that there are “250 municipalities and about 40 companies” above the permitted allocations
In this sense, he stated that the sanctions will range “from the one that produces the greatest impact on the environment to the one with the least impact.”
Finally, he pointed out that the reservoirs in the internal Catalan basins are currently at 19% of their capacity and that it is “the first time” that they are below 20%, so calls on citizens to limit consumption.
Restrictions in Barcelona
The director of the Catalan Water Agency (ACA), Samuel Reyes, has stated that “it is possible that entry could be advanced” into the state of emergency due to drought in Barcelona, which is scheduled for Decemberalthough he insists that it will have to be analyzed.
He said this this Tuesday at a press conference after the meeting of the Interdepartmental Drought Commissionwhen asked if the emergency in Barcelona is expected to advance, which would limit consumption to 200 liters per inhabitant per dayand what has responded that, although it cannot yet be foreseen, Rainfall levels are “at historic lows”.
The Government spokesperson, Patrícia Plaja, has insisted that the drought situation in Catalonia “not only has it not improved in recent months, but it has gotten much worse.”
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