News
Another Nerja water protest
Tradition was deliberately broken at the end of Nerja ’ s annual carnaval celebrations as a protest about the delay in completing the town ’ s water treatment plant . The idea by the festival ’ s organising committee was described as “ brilliant ” by mayor Rosa Arrabal .
The Sunday afternoon event takes the form of a mock funeral procession in honour of a huge paper-maché sardine which is paraded through the town , accompanied by dozens of mourners saddened by its death . The crowd always ends up at Calahonda beach where the sardine is set on fire as fireworks light up the sky .
However , this year the model was not set alight as a protest at the continuing paralysation of work to complete the treatment plant . Instead , the sardine taken round the town appeared to have a tear in its eye as it stood upright on pipe discharging untreated sewage .
The organisers said they had taken the decision not to set fire to the sardine again until it is possible to , “ swim in a sea of purified water without faecal discharges .” The action came a week after 700 people marched from the town centre to the site of the new plant to protest about the delay .
The fall-out from an illegal dump in Nerja which was allowed to continue to be used for 15 years took another step last month . As well as an on-going investigation by a Torrox court , the Junta de Andalucía has now initiated disciplinary proceedings against the municipality which could end with a substantial fine running into many thousands of euros .
The Partido Popular , now in opposition at Nerja Town Hall , said the process started with a complaint in May 2016 . In a statement , the PP said a very serious infringement may be involved , including the violation of the rules on waste , fires and use of
It was obviously successful as a week later , after nine months of inaction , it was announced that work had restarted on the long-awaited water treatment plant .
The Environment Ministry agreed that the consortium contracted to construct it has provided adequate guarantees that they can complete the project without its largest member which went into liquidation in July . Several collector pipes and the pumping station at Burriana beach remain to be installed .
Junta opens proceedings against Nerja land classed as protected . The site , an old quarry at Rio de la Miel , lies within such an area . During over 15 years of uncontrolled use , construction and demolition debris including hazardous waste , plus garden cuttings and plastic were dumped there .
Over 40 people , including business owners and public officials , are presently under investigation by the Torrox court for possible offences including crimes against the environment , forgery , fraud and membership of a criminal group , plus negligent environmental and administrative deception .
Body found
A body found on a Salobreña beach last month has been confirmed as that of a 74-year-old local woman who suffered from Alzheimer ’ s Disease and had been missing for two days . Dozens of people joined the search for her over the weekend before she was found on Monday morning . The woman was wellknown in the town which has declared two days of official mourning .
Bike assaults
A 30-year-old Málaga man has been fined for slapping four women on the buttocks as he rode his bicycle along the city ’ s paseo marítimo Antonio Machado two years ago . He was arrested at the scene and gave a false identity . The suspect claimed he was on drugs and did not know what he was doing but was fined € 1,200 for four minor offences .
Drought continues
Water restrictions for growers in the Axarquía continued throughout February . Drought conditions forced water for irrigation from the Viñuela reservoir , now at 22 % capacity , to be cut to 60 % of normal volumes in December . The farming sector fear that this will be subject to a further cutback in the coming weeks .
Petrol closed
Nerja Town Hall has closed a self-service petrol station which opened last summer next to Lidl supermarket on avenida Antonio Villasclaras . Commerce councillor Mari Carmen González said that the precautionary measure was taken after shortcomings in its construction were advised by municipal technicians but , “ have not been remedied .” The facility is understood to have had the necessary planning and licensing permits .
Tractor overturns
A 80-year-old man died in countryside near Málaga last month after his tractor overturned on top of him . Emergency services in the city were alerted to a man trapped beneath a vehicle at midday but were able only to confirm the fatality on arrival . The victim ’ s 77-year-old wife was treated for shock at the scene .
House fire
Two elderly people required treatment for smoke inhalation following a house fire in Almuñécar last month . They live next door to the property affected in the town ’ s calle Santa Isabel and were trapped when the blaze began . The emergency services quickly extinguished the fire and the rescued couple were taken a local health centre .
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