Flood preparation work underway in just 6 out of 27 municipalities

Although it has been a continual problem since urbanisation began, flooding is getting worse in many parts of Spain, the Vega Baja being no exception. Stress and damage caused by some of the most recent weather phenomenon is still raw in many places, and although the Government has pledged funding to try to prepare for the future, so far, only 6 out of the 27 eligible municipalities have started, or in some cases finished, flood preparation works. However, another 12 municipalities have awarded the works and will start them soon.

Of the six municipalities that are advancing with the works, Los Montesinos has already completed the first stage of the three that are planned, with the improvement of the sewerage network, into which 26,029 euro has been invested. It has also awarded two other works for the clearing of rainwater. One in Las Lomas de la Herrada, with an investment of 100,000 euro and another in calle Clavelina, which flows into the Riegos de Levante canal on the bank of the Segura river, with an investment of 120,278 euro.

Other municipalities that have started the works are Benferri, Benijófar, Callosa de Segura, Formentera del Segura and San Isidro. In the case of Benferri, it will see the construction of a pond to collect rainwater to be treated in the municipal sewage treatment plant with an investment of 495,195 euro. In Benijófar, work is being done to adapt and improve the existing regulation pond, improve the water drainage network, and in the Cañada Marsá, with an investment of 400,000 euro. Callosa de Segura is well advanced in the construction of the rainwater collector on Calla Rambla Baja and the repair and restoration of the azarbe de Moncada, with an investment of 721,857 euro.

The sixth and last municipality with advanced works is San Isidro. The construction of a storm tank for the collection of rainwater in the La Granadina industrial estate is in the final phase, with an investment of 273,566 euro. The Council will execute another work, with the total aid allocated, of 126,495 euro, with the installation of a sanitation network for the collection of rainwater in the avenue Juan Carlos I. Based on the amount received by the Generalitat, taking into account population criteria, land use and flood risk, the Town Halls determined how many projects and needs they could cover. For this reason, 44 projects distributed throughout the 27 municipalities of Vega Baja are being funded. Of these, there are 17 projects that twelve municipalities have awarded the works for. This group includes Albatera, Benejúzar, Daya Nueva, Daya Vieja, Guardamar del Segura, Jacarilla, Los Montesinos, Pilar de la Horadada, Rojales, San Fulgencio, San Isidro and San Miguel de Salinas. Albatera received 400,000 euro, which it will allocate to the work for the construction of a rainwater collector. Benejúzar, with the same amount, will allocate the aid to the expansion of the water evacuation network. Also, Daya Nueva, awarded for 385,761 euro for the installation of a general rainwater collector in the urban area, and Daya Vieja, with 399,984 euro for improvements to the boulevard-gutter.

Guardamar del Segura, with 512,000 euro, will improve the construction of rainwater collectors in calle Lepanto, calle Ausías March, and avenida Mediterráneo,and in Jacarilla, with 408,994 euros. In the case of Pilar de la Horadada, it has five works awarded that it will finance with a total of 400,000 euro in Lo Monte, in Ronda de Levante, on Avenida La Venta, in the regeneration of Rambla de Pilar-extension existing boulevard and devices for monitoring the status of the rainwater network.

Rojales, with this first phase of aid from the Consell, has been awarded the works to improve the drainage of water from the area of Plaza de Los Suizos, Avenida Huelva and Calle Pontevedra and the reform of the La Bernada pumping station and the drive pipe for diversion of flows that affect the urban area through the northern basin. All this with a grant of 464,927 euro. San Fulgencio will spend 391,286 euro building a collector on calle Camino del Convenio.

To this first phase of direct financing at a cost of 16 million, is added the 13.5 million that the Consell approved in October as a second phase.

Warning of deadly processionary caterpillars

Dog owners and walkers have been warned about seasonal Pine Processionary Caterpillars that are on the march. The highly poisonous caterpillars were photographed by Karin Magdalena on a Quesada street, near to the popular

Torrevieja to build 7,490 new homes at La Hoya

The Torrevieja City Council is one step closer to approving the construction of the urbanisation of La Hoya Sector-20 , which will includes 7,490 homes on 1.8 million square meters with a capacity to house 18,000 new residents, an equivalent size to the current population of Rojales. Other than a number of small frontline plots, it is also the last parcel of major developable land that remains in the municipality of Torrevieja. The urbanization is to be built on the land delimited by the CV-905, the La Siesta urbanization, the perimeter of the natural park in the La Mata lagoon, the Quirón Hospital, the International Auditorium, el "camino de las cabras" (the path of the goats), which will become one of the main roads in the urbanization, and the residential areas of Jardín del Mar. Included in the project, which was announced at a press conference on Friday by councillor Federico

A L B A N I A

Alarcón, there will be a pedestrian walkway over the N-332 (275,000 euros) and a bridge next to the IES Mare Nostrum (1,400,000 euros). There is also a forest restoration project next to the natural park valued at 450,000 euros and another flyover in the vicinity of the Quirón Hospital costing a further 650,000 euros. There will also be a commercial area of 103,000 square meters just flanking the CV-905 between the current Jardín del Mar-Doña Inés urbanization and the La Siesta urbanization . Environmental groups such as Amigos de los Humedales del Sur de Alicante have warned of the enormous environmental impact, not only because of its proximity to the natural park, but also because it fails to achieve the current sustainability criteria.

Builders Corpic (Elche), Eurovillas and the Torrevieja developer Grupo TM will shortly begin works on the basic services, roads, lighting and sanitation.

Officers from the National Police have broken up a criminal organisation of Albanian mafia, for crimes of drug trafficking and document falsification, related to their main criminal activity, human trafficking.

The investigation followed a woman, a member of the organisation, to a well-known Business Centre in the city of Murcia, when she was preparing to close an agreement with real estate agents for the rental of homes in coastal areas of Murcia and Alicante.

The criminal organisation located and rented large houses and chalets, providing false documentation, with the aim of installing large "indoor" type marijuana plantations that produced 4 harvests a year, distributing the substances throughout international organisa-

Kidnap was local misunderstanding

Alicante National Police has concluded that the attempted kidnapping of an eight-year-old girl on the Camino Viejo de Bigastro, in Orihuela, last Sunday, was "a neighborhood misunderstanding".

Police sources have stated that "once all the facts have been investigated, it seems that it is due to a neighborhood misunderstanding,” although they failed to give the reason that gave rise to the investigation.

Harry's Bar.

You need to be aware of the Processionary Caterpillar which can be harmful to young children and sometimes fatal to dogs and cats.They drop from their nesting place, abundant in Pine trees.

Truck driver arrested in Orihuela after deadly hit-and-run

The Civil Guard has arrested a 43-year-old truck driver in Orihuela accused of killing a driver in Albacete while changing a wheel on his car on the side of the road, and fleeing.

The man arrested has been charged with reckless homicide and another of leaving the scene of the accident.

The fatal accident occurred on the A-30 highway, in the municipality of Albacete. Within just a few hours theGuardia was able to locate the truck involved and arrest its driver in Orihuela.

DNAtest confirms traces of Alves' semen in victim's body, clothes

DNAtest results have confirmed that semen found on a woman who accused Dani Alves of rape in a Barcelona nightclub match his DNA.

The test also showed that he was a positive match for evidence found on the woman's dress, underwear, and the bathroom floor of the VIParea.

Alves, who was a former player for FC Barcelona, is in custody without bail and has changed his story multiple times.

tion with huge profits, thus financing the main work of the organisation, the trafficking of human beings for sexual exploitation.

The police investigation led to the entry and search of two properties located in Busot and the Orihuela Costa, locating a marijuana planta- tion in one of them, while the other house was being prepared for the installation of a large plantation.

Five detainees were handed over to the Murcia and Alicante Courts, who ordered the imprisonment of the two main perpetrators.