Marina Alta autumn flood worries

TORRENTIAL rain which hit the Costa at the weekend caused Jávea's Granadella beach car park to fill up with water, making it impossible for vehicles to navigate.

Local Police have set up barricades at the entrance just in case another downpour turns it into a lake.

The car park on the Granadella beach is in fact a dry riverbed, meaning it frequently fills up during periods of heavy rain.

Town councils in the northern Marina Alta area calling for the water supply and rivers authority, the Júcar river Hydrographic Confederation (CHJ) to pull its finger out now that 'gota fría' season has arrived.

The CHJ is responsible for clearing out reeds, rushes and general overgrowth from the region's rivers, but has not touched the river Girona or the streams leading off it.

It was the river Girona which burst its banks in October 2007, killing at least two people, flooding hundreds of houses - the owners of many of which are still waiting government compensation to be able to carry out repairs - and brought down an entire road bridge in Beniarbeig.

Ondara council asked the CHJ a month ago to clean out the Barranquets and L'Alberca ravines, since they would only need a typical autumn downpour to overflow and cause widespread damage.

The part of the river Girona from Beniarbeig to El Verger is 'a serious flood threat', say local authorities.

Councils cannot do the job themselves as they do not have the jurisdiction, and would need to spend money on highly-technical equipment and workers.

The CHJ says it does not have the money to do the work.