Despite steady rain in most of Spain since last October, the area round the headof the Tagus in the central part of the country has remained unaffected and reservoirs there are less than 14 percent full.
On Friday ministers in Madrid ruled nonetheless that two such reservoirs must convey water reserves to towns and villages in the southeast, especially the Segura basin, where the situation is even more critical.
‘The system is facing the third year of the worst drought recorded in the area,’ said the Environment Ministry in a statement.
The Ministry has also approved a separate agreement whereby farmers in the Tagus area will cede irrigation water to colleagues in Murcia and Alicante, Spain’s main fruit and vegetable growing areas.
Though the country’s autonomous regions are keen to control their own water, only the central government is empowered to regulate the use of resources in rivers running through different regions.
Sources:
El Pais
www.elpais.com
Planet Ark
www.planetark.com