Cash provided to tackle insect plagues
Grants handed out around the province to clamp down on mosquitoes and blackfly
A TOTAL of €380,000 is being stumped up by the provincial government in Alicante to help town halls crack down on mosquitoes and other insects.
Provincial deputy for the environment and energy, Miguel Ángel Sánchez said the treatments were ‘essential to prevent plagues and protect ecosystems’. He stated that the authority in Alicante was determined to help town halls tackle these ‘proliferations’ of insects – and this year they had increased the amount of money available by €80,000.
The announcement comes as recent rains have led to an explosion in the mosquito population in some parts of the province.
One of the affected municipalities is Torrevieja, where residents and opposition political parties have highlighted that rain water fails to drain away in many areas and this becomes stagnant, providing a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
In recent weeks this has led to a proliferation of the biting insects, which is affecting residential areas all over the municipality, they noted.
Sr Sánchez said that the aid will help town halls to develop ‘disinfestation’ processes.
The money is being handed to councils in areas which, ‘due to the characteristics of the land’, have a
greater presence of mosquitoes and blackfly, he added.
More than 20 town halls in the Marina Alta – including Benissa, Calpe, Denia, Llíber, Jalón Parcent and Teulada – will receive financial help, along with 27 in the Vega Baja including Torrevieja,
Algorfa, Almoradí, Benijófar, Catral, Daya Nueva, Daya Vieja, Dolores, Formentera del Segura, Guardamar del Segura, Los Montesinos, Orihuela, Pilar de la Horadada, Rojales, San Fulgencio and San Miguel de Salinas.