Mayor works to get mud and sludge removed from Mar Menor beaches

The Mayor and Cartagena City Council will take a step forward and commission a report to remove the mud and mud from the beaches of the Mar Menor.

THE Mayor of Cartagena, Ana Belén Castejón, announced the plans for a much needed beach clean up at the Inter-Administrative Forum meeting held on August 12.
Following a previous meeting held in July, the Mayor of Cartagena already proposed to take a step forward and initiate the relevant studies to carry out the removal of mud and sludge in the towns of the Mar Menor, in response to an order from the Secretary of State of Environment, Hugo Morán, that riverside municipalities were now in charge of cleaning mud and sludge.
An act that has always been the responsibility of the Government of Spain.
The Cartagena City Council, like the rest of the consistories, as their mayors have stated, is clear that the powers in this matter belong to the State, but a solution to the situation of beaches, such as Los Urrutias and Los Nietos, cannot be delayed any further with the situation only getting worse.
“We are very clear that if we do not do it, no one will come to do it, so we are going to start working on the report that makes it possible and we will see later who assumes the cost of these much-needed work” said the Mayor.
Hydraulic investments are being made to improve the sanitation network in various riverside towns to alleviate the possible spills that occur due to the poor condition of these infrastructures.
Works have been put out to tender for sanitation works in Los Urrutias, Los Nietos, El Llano del Beal, to avoid dragging from the Sierra Minera, and Playa Honda.
Ana Belén Castejón, also informed the rest of the components of the Inter-Administrative Forum of the proposal from Cartagena City Council that will hopefully gain Mar Menor a budget from the European Economic Recovery Fund, a proactive proposal that has had the support of the rest of the Mayors.
“I already announced in the State Debate of the municipality in Cartagena: of those €140,000 Million that the Government of Spain has negotiated with Europe for the economic recovery of the country, it is important that the Mar Menor, which has already suffered several scourges, damages and a catastrophic situation such as this pandemic, deserves to be considered and taken into account, so that a portion of that economic recovery fund is destined solely and exclusively for the Mar Menor” announced Ana Belén Castejón.
The mayor of Cartagena has also expressed the need for the creation of a high commissioner for the Mar Menor, but in the meeting, the Minister of Water, Antonio Luengo, has communicated to the river mayors that this is not a figure that the Government of Spain plans to create.
“We continue to think that the position of high commissioner would have been very positive to lead, work, group and join efforts, budget and all the competencies around a common objective and front: to preserve and safeguard the salty lagoon of Europe, which is belongs to Mar Menor”, in conclusion, Ana Belén Castejón added if the position of High Commissioner could not be appointed then, “we believe that it should be the municipalities who decide the departure and actions to undertake and help safeguard and advance in the protection of the Mar Menor with charge of that item of European funds”.
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