Axarquía water supplies are guaranteed for the next year, Junta reassures residents

The Junta de Andalucía tried to quell fears in La Axarquía that the water supply will run out altogether on Tuesday, insisting that supplies are guaranteed for at least another year even if it hardly rains at all this winter.

Fourteen municipalities in the area, with a total population of around 160,000, rely exclusively on La Viñuela reservoir for their water and at present it only contains 10% of its capacity. However, the Junta recently made the unprecedented decision to ban farmers from using the water for irrigation and this is will help to guarantee the domestic supply.

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The Junta’s delegate for agriculture and water resources in Malaga, Fernando Fernández, paid a fact-finding visit to La Viñuela on Tuesday with the delegate for Malaga, Patricia Navarro, the mayor of La Viñuela, José Juan Jiménez and mayor of Iznate, Gregorio Campos. The latter two are also the president and vice-president of the Mancomunidad de Municipios for the area.

Water will continue to be transferred from other areas where the drought is not so serious, Fernández told the press during the visit, and will be able to be taken from two of the three wells in the Chillar river in Nerja in a few weeks.

"The supply for La Axarquía is guaranteed for the next water year," he insisted.