1. What is Tagus-Segura Transfer? It is a hydraulic work designed in the Second Republic to extract water from the Tagus al Segura river. The project was built after a civil war and many problems, so water did not flow from one river to another until 1979. Since then, much of Vega Baja in Alicante, the Murcian garden, and the agriculture of Almería have been irrigated, thus contributing to the fruit and vegetable supply of Spain and Europe.
2. Current situation? In our country, the way in which ideology, blessings, loyalty and disloyalty are rewarded and restrained has taken precedence over justice, common sense and solidarity. It’s one thing to say what someone is, it’s another to be that. Recently, the National Water Council, with the approval of its majority government, approved a cut of more than 105 cubic meters per year for the next 5 years, ie almost 40% less water transfer than existing ones. The solidarity that he was so proud of with the triumphal arch has literally passed.
3. Is it better to die of hunger or thirst? The Supreme Court upheld the cut, arguing that the supply requires more protection than irrigation. Maybe, but is it better to die of starvation or thirst? Water is life and, like all universal values, it is a common value that everyone should quench their thirst for. 70% of our body is water. Not by chance, again pure balance with a planet that is 70 percent water. All living things need it. This is not an exaggeration. I have seen thousands of animals die of thirst when some rivers dry up, but also starve when the soil is no longer fertile for the plants and trees on which they feed. Each cubic meter of water coming out of this transfer corresponds to 8 kilograms of fruit and vegetables. It’s not a game for animals or us, it’s about living or dying.