Mar Menor flood- risk ravines plan

A TOTAL of 13 dangerous stretches of watercourses are to be included in the plan to reduce the risk of flooding in the Mar Menor area, according to a draft plan submitted by a team of international experts to Murcia regional government.

The experts have proposed specific actions on high- risk stretches of the watercourses which affect Los Alcázares, San Javier, San Pedro del Pinatar,

Cartagena and Torre Pacheco.

The draft plan includes a series of small dams along the watercourses; restoring the natural river beds; recovering land used for farming; and channeling the most dangerous stretches.

These works should be carried out by the national government’s Segura river and water authority ( CHS) as they are public domain land.

Additionally, widespread reforestation is due to take place at the head of the watercourses, which would have to be undertaken by the regional government.

Local councils would have to update their town plans ( PGOU) to prevent new homes being built in areas near the watercourses, and they would have to improve their drainage networks.

The experts are professionals from different fields and include university professors and European Commission

civil servant Peter Salomon.

The plan was praised by Los Alcázares association for flood victims Saldremos a Flote, who urged the regional and national authorities to stop working on studies and start contracting out the necessary works.

“We demand urgent solutions and action,” said a spokesman.

“We don’t want more meetings and reports.”